Garden of fiction
by Oblivion-Time
Summary: I submit all of my one-shots here.
1. Fuck, you, you and YOU!

**Fuck, you, you _and YOU!_**

Fuck this! Fuck that! Fuck everyone! Fuck anything! She was done with it all. Maka had the crappiest day out of all the days since she was born. For the first time in history, she overslept, burned Soul's and hers breakfast _and_ when they got there, she got her first detention to mark her beautiful flawless record. Ox had snickered at her. It didn't end there, she forgot to make lunch for both of them and she forgot money at home, so she had to starve herself through the afternoon classes and it wasn't until she was in her last period, she snapped.

Her teacher lost her homework and she had to redo it and it wasn't a small assignment, no, it was a ten pages essay about nuclear power she had worked on for _weeks_ in order to nail an A.

She was so done. So fucking done. She didn't care about the detention. Maka ran back home, cursing and screaming loudly so mother's had to cover their children's ears.

The front door slammed shut and the sound of footsteps headed toward her room. There was a knock before it swung open, revealing her partner.

"What the hell happened to you?" He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

She sat curled up on her bed, eating every piece of chocolate from the spider-man Christmas calendar she had bought a few days ago for her and Soul.

"Stein happened. He lost my ten page essay and now I have to fucking redo it!" She growled and roughly opened the box for the seventeenth and shoved the piece of chocolate in her mouth.

"And now you are taking it out on Spider-man and Christmas? Not cool." He strolled toward her and took a seat on her bed, his hand laid on her knee. "There is a better way of taking out anger than taking it out on Spider-man. You know you will regret eating all of that chocolate when you start sprouting pimples."

"What?" She snapped, sucking on the chocolate in her mouth.

A smirk grew on his lips and his face was suddenly a lot closer to hers. She recognized that face and she knew damned well what he was going to suggest. "Angry sex."


	2. The fault in me

**The fault in me**

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Angrily she pulled her oxygen tank after her as she climbed the hill. The hill they sat so many times on. The hill they laughed, smiled and kissed on. The hill where everything began. Their chapter together.

When she reached the top, her knees gave in. The tears stained her cheeks and even her trembling hands couldn't wipe away all the tears. They all flooded down like waterfalls, two waterfalls that had infinity amount of salty water. The kind of infinity she wanted. The kind of infinity she desired most of all, but she couldn't have.

A scream tore her throat and howled to the grinning moon gazing down on her without a care in the world. Her hands clutched her short blond hair as she collapsed on the grass.

Oh how much she wished she could turn the clock back and re-live the past months, how she could always live through the little time they shared together.

She cried and she cried. The stars gazed down on her without any comfort. She didn't care if anyone heard her. She wanted them all to hear the pain that was inflicted to her just by one simple phone call.

"Maka."

She didn't turn around. There was no need for her to look behind her.

"Maka."

Snoot covered her lips and she didn't care what condition she was in. She was hurting and that was all that she could comprehend at the moment.

"Maka. I'm not dead."

"I know." She cried out, still clutching her head. "But it is so unfair." She hiccupped, unable to control her pain. "_I_ was supposed to go first. Now with this… life is so unfair!"

"I'm sorry." The husky voice came closer and soon a weight beside her slide on the ground. Hands gently lifted her head and placed it on his lap. "If I had a stronger body, you wouldn't be in this situation. If I was stronger… we c―"

"Don't say anything!" Tears soaked the man's pants, she cuddled closer to the man and buried her head in his lower stomach. "It isn't your fault you got cancer Soul! It's not your fault the cancer spread! It is _not_ your fault!" Her hands clutched to his shirt as the man's fingers ran through her short hair. "Just… don't let me go… Just hold me… if you don't, it will be your fault."

He chuckled weakly, a poor attempt at lightening the mood and he held her shoulders close to his. "I won't. I will stay with you till my dying breath."

She cried into the man's lap the entire night as he soothingly ran his fingers through her hair, rubbed her back or simply squeezed her close to him.

That was the hill where they met. The hill that became theirs. Where they could find the smallest of infinities in each other's embraces. Where they could feel a little less lonely and a little more loved. A little less sick. And there, on that hill where the smallest of infinities was found, there was where their journey ended.


	3. A Writer and His Editor

**A writer and his editor**

_"―and then everything went south and I was lucky I managed to separate Kid and Black*Star from each other."_ The editor smiled at the text in parentheses and wrote a message at the side of the article about a concert that took place the last weekend.

It was more than a year ago she had received his first article. It was at the beginning a mess-up that had turned permanent. Liz was supposed to go through Soul Evans's texts since she was music interested and knew all of the musical terms that Soul would use and she had accidentally grabbed the wrong text. When she went through it and corrected the grammar and gave some feedback, in the middle of the text, he found a message. _"I know 'hooligans' is a weird word, but I thought it would spice up the text."_ He had written in the middle of the text with parentheses. It had been the beginning of something special. Maka had taken over all of his texted and they always communicated in the texts day after day after day. Weirdly, they hadn't talked at all in person, even if they knew how each other looked. Maka would always walk up to his desk, silently leave her comments on his desk and he would give her a "thank you" before she left.

They proved to have so much in common and she found herself waiting for his texts, to read the secret notes in his articles and write a response. She had found herself enjoying herself talking to the man.

Unfortunately, it would come to an end.

Today she had gotten the call from the job she had applied to and she had gotten it. It was a very highly respected newspaper she had only dreamed about working for, and now she got it. She couldn't say no, it was her dream, but, there was Soul.

She sighed heavily and wrote at the side of his article. _"I'm glad you weren't too wounded."_ And now came the hard part. _"There is something I have to tell you. I got a job offer from DC news and I accepted it. I will quit my job today."_ She got up from her seat and grabbed the two pages of his article, headed out of her office and passed the other editors' offices. She turned to the left toward the journalists offices and there she saw Soul and his photographer Kim chatting away about the concert they had seen.

"―and the climax of his playing was amazing! Thank you, Maka." Soul smiled toward Maka when she put the article on his desk.

"You're welcome." And she left his office and returned to her own where she engaged in the other's articles. It wasn't as fun as correcting Soul's texts, but it was her job to correct and give feedbacks to the writers, and she was going to do her job until she quit later that day.

She returned the writer's texts and when she returned, her office wasn't empty.

Soul leaned against her desk, tapping his foot on the ground before he noticed her. "Is this true?" He held up his text. "Are you quitting?"

Maka closed the door behind her so if the boss came by, he wouldn't hear their conversation. It would only hurt him if he heard it from her that way.

"That's right." She hadn't imagined their first time talking to each other would be like this. Their talks through Soul's texts were so intimate and almost like best friends talking, so she pictured maybe they would talk for real for the first time either by bumping into each other outside of work, or maybe taking a seat with the other at lunch, but no such thing had ever happened.

"Why?"

"Why?" She asked, walking around her desk and took her seat. "There was an editor spot at the newspaper and I have always wanted to work there. So I took a chance and I send them my resume. I got the job and I've wanted to work there for a while so I accepted it."

He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "Is it because of me?"

She cocked her eyebrow as she grabbed another article on her desk and her pen. "Why would it be because of you?"

"I don't know. Because we talk? Because we haven't talked like this, only via the articles and feedback? Did I say something wrong?" He slammed his hands on her desk. "Please, tell me, did you seek the job because of me?"

"No," She put down her pencil again and shook her head, "it is quite the opposite. I _didn't_ want to take the job because of you." Her eyes widen and a blush spread on her face. "I-I mean… Oh dear!"

"Do you like me?"

He eyes widen even more as the blush deepened. "What?"

"Do you like me?" He scratched his cheek. His own cheeks were slightly red. "You know, more than friends. Maybe in a romantically fashion."

There was no denying it. She was terribly attracted toward him. Many saw him as weird and with his exotic sharp teeth, maybe even frightening, but she only saw him as frighteningly beautiful. She always wondered if his hair was silky as natural hair or if it was bleach damaged. If his skin was as warm and strong as it looked like.

But could she tell him the truth?

"I do see you as a secret best friend." Oh, yes she is. "And I do think you are very attractive, but it is too early to tell if I hold anything romantically about you. I do see potential of growing romantic feelings to you, but right now I can't say yes or no."

Soul smirked wide and leaned closer to her over the desk. "Go out with me."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, because unlike you, I do know I like you in more than a friend fashion. Can I take you out for dinner tonight?"

She smiled and nodded. "Alright, only if I get to go home and feed my cat."

"Of course."

And so they broke out of interacting between secret messages. No longer were they secret best friends, but potential lovers.


	4. By the Tree in the Dark Forest

**By the tree in the Dark Forest**

Soul Evans wasn't a good person. He wasn't even decent. He'd done things, horrible things, absolutely terrifying and shell-shocking deeds only existing within the imagination of teenagers around a bonfire, telling horror stories. He wasn't proud of what he'd done, but if he could, he would take it back. Take everything back and sparing those countless children, mothers and husbands just because he could make serious money. He'd committed the most horrible crimes and he'd be executed if he ever was caught.

Never in his life had he wished to do anything but slaughter people for money. He'd do anything in order to get his hands on money.

One night, he'd taken a mission from a noble man, Kid Death, paying handsomely for him to annihilate a young woman. He never asked why his clients wanted his targets gone, all he needed to know was the amount of the money for the job getting done, a picture of the target and a name.

Maka. Miss Maka Albarn.

Soul walked inside of the bar with his black mantel, dark stringed shirt and thick boots. His red eyes scanned the area, drunk males sat at every table with a woman entertaining them. Most likely prostitutes.

His eyes came to rest on the woman with blond hair and green eyes. Green eyes like the finest green apples at the market and her lips as rich as blood. She stood behind the bar, pouring up beer for a man with rough brown beer.

He walked passed the tables with his eyes clearly set on his target, but he still caught sight of the males whispering about his odd looks. It always happened and with his senses as a mass-killer, a killing-machine, he's his eyes everywhere and his ears sharper than an animal's. He'd perfectly tabs on every single person inside of the small wooden-wreck of a bar.

He took a seat in at the bar and immediately she came, ready to serve him. "Hello, what can I get you Sir?" Her voice was cheerful and vivid, filled with life itself. Life you only saw in the most innocent of children. He'd seen that kind of children scream in agony and fear before his dagger pierced their hearts before he marked them with a slash over the chest.

"A beer." He answered huskily.

She nodded fiercely, her blond hair swayed forward to then perfectly return to its original place. Her small and delicate hand grabbed a beer glass and went over to the wooden barrel, filling up a glass for him.

He'd be a fool if he killed her in a place as crowded as this. He needed to get her away to a private area where he could finish his mission.

Her hips swayed softly, the hem of her dress gently caressed her boots.

A wide smirk, a smirk exposing his pointy teeth, gleaming in the darkly lit bar.

Seduction. He was going to seduce her alone where he'd then kill her.

The sweet smile lingered on her perfectly curved rosy lips as she put the glass of beer in front of him. "Five bronze pieces, please Sir."

Soul dug in his pocket and grabbed the dull five bronze pieces, but he did grab a golden piece as well, putting it on the dark wooden bar. "You can keep the rest." He exposed his teeth for her to see as he leaned closer to her. "And you, sweetheart, address me as Soul."

The pale porcelain skin of hers turned to a faint pink as she gathered the pieces on the table. "Thank you dearly… Soul." She put the five bronze pieces inside of the payment chest to then put the golden piece inside of her own pocket. "You're a very kind man."

"No, I'm not." He reached for her hand and took it. His scarred powerful hands on her pale fragile one, such a contrast between his tanned one and her light one. It's enchanting. His eyes wandered up to her innocent face, she peered at him shyly with a large blush on her face. What had she done for Kid Death to want her dead and gone. Such and innocent creature with vivid and innocent features.

"I'm one of the king's soldiers." He returned to the subject as his thumb drew circles on the back of her hand. "I've seen war, been a part of it. I've done things I'm not proved of and soon, I'll be sent back to the front lines."

"Oh my," She put her free hand on her chest, "you poor thing. When are you going back?"

"Soon." He mustered a sorrowful expression as he gazed back at her through his bangs. "Too soon for my liking. I do not want to return to the fields without being remembered by someone. My whole family is dead and buried since years ago. I'm all alone in this cruel world."

She squeezed his hand and he raised his eyes, peering at her with hope. "You're not alone. If you'd like, you could stay with me for the night, but then you'll have to wait four hours. I can't abandon my job."

He smirked. He smirked wide mentally. "Thank you, sweetheart." He hit the bull's eye. Emotions always proved to break the ladies into bed and he'd use these hours in order to make her absolutely crazy about him.

The hours went and he didn't even take a sip of his beer. She only left him to take other orders or prepared other drinks for the rowdy men. The two of them converts back and forth, spreading more lies and planted pity in her mind, however, he did not expect to grow sympathy for _her_. She shared her life story, about being abandoned by her father and her mother struggled with keeping her feed. Her green vivid eyes drained in life and he felt panic grow in his chest, wanting to tell her anything and do anything to make her feel better.

When the hours went by and she led him to her room two floors above the bar, he couldn't contain himself. Those green eyes of hers were dull and he _needed_ to bring back the life in them. Whatever it took, he _had to_ do it.

His lips connected with hers after she locked the door. She kissed him back with equal power and her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him closer to her. His hands settled on her hips and tugged her close to him. It didn't take long before his fingers found the strings of her corset and quickly untied it. It pooled around her feet and he made swift work of her dress and it joined her corset on the ground. His lips latched onto her neck and nibbled, kissed and licked it.

"Are we going to do it?" She groaned and the weight around his neck grew heavier. He knew her knees must be failing her. His hands gripped her back as he held her up.

"Only if you want, sweetheart." He planted kiss after kiss on her exposed shoulders and neck. Her skin tasted better than he imagined. Green apples mixed with the best combination of flowers. The more he tasted of her skin, he longed for more of her. He wanted to taste her more, wanted to eat her up and satisfy her in the best way possible before he locked her in a box only for him to admire her beauty.

She moaned and shuddered, her skin prickled with delight to his satisfaction. "I kind of do." She gulped and let out a string of long moans when his hands found her ass, fondling it as he nibbled her sensitive neck. "Will you get me pregnant?"

"Try not to." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the barely standing bed, gently placing her down on the covers. "I'm going to pull out, but there's no guarantee you won't get pregnant." Soul took off his mantel and it gathered on the floor. His hand bumped into the handle of his dagger perfectly hidden in his pants.

His mission was to eliminate the girl and the moment doesn't get better than this, her lying on the bed with trust and longing for him. He could so easily grab the dagger and plunge it in her heart, putting her out of her misery. He could so easily kill her and walk out of there to get his bounty in just an hour. It would be that easy. His fingers tingled and clenched to the relaxed, repeating the process all over again. It wasn't like he was in grave need of money. He'd a large amount of money at his shed of home.

"Thank you." Her hand reached up to his cheek, gently cupping it as her thumb caressed the rough unshaved skin. "I'm a very lucky girl for meeting you Soul. I'm honored."

His fists clenched. His eyes gazed into hers.

His hands quickly untied his pants and the material along with the hidden knife joined his mantel.

He could not do it.

The next morning he woke up to the sun rising in the distance, pouring in the rays of light and reflected on the naked angel in front of him.

He wasn't innocent, he was far from it. With his own family dying at the hands of a ruthless gang of bandits, he became a demon. He trained, learned to handle a dagger and disguised himself as an everyday person. After becoming a hitman, he killed his client's targets without a thought or a feeling telling him to stop. In his free-time when he felt like it, he did seek the company of women. Some he woke up to, some he left as soon he finished.

She, Maka Albarn, looked the best out of all of them. Her skin glowed in the moonlight, watching her blossom into a woman in front of his eyes. He treasured the moment dearly. The aftermath was just as amazing. The sun's rays made her skin glow a golden hue and her hair seemed to be strings of pure gold. Her skin looked absolutely delicious, and he knew the taste of her skin was the best flavor he'd ever tasted, her skin screamed at him to take a lick of her stomach and her collarbones to then capture the strawberry flavored lips of hers.

He wanted her. With passion.

Soul reached for her with his hand, his fingers brushed her cheekbone and immediately her warmth abused his fingers. Deliciously. Just like a demon gracing an angel's touch, hypnotizing the demon with the angel's beauty.

He wasn't going to walk away from her.

His fingers brushed her swan-like neck to her shoulder, his fingers heated up to a degree he'd never before experienced. Her warmth, her fragile porcelain skin, those green eyes innocently peering at him like a swan gently floating on the surface of a lake.

He cursed and rolled out of the bed, tumbling down on his clothes and the handle of his dagger wiped out the warmth and comfort she'd offered him.

He'd taken a job to assassinate her and it didn't matter how much he cared about the woman, the job had to be done.

Without bothering to cover himself up, he drew the dagger from its case and crawled up on the bed, like a savage tiger ready to jump a white rabbit. She stirred in her sleep as he crawled on top of her, straddling her slim waist. He grabbed a hold of her left shoulder and let the top of the dagger rest on her chest, above her beating heart, her vital organ. Putting a little weight on his dagger, it would pierce her skin and become one with her heart. Her eyes would open and look at him with pain and shock, just like his other victims. Hers would be filled with betray and the innocent eyes would look at him with… disappointment.

His own heart tripped. His nails dug into her pale skin, which caused her to moan and her eyes fluttered open. Instantly her eyes shifted to the lethal weapon in his hand and then to his eyes.

He was right. Her eyes widen in fear and betrayal flashed in them. Her body tensed and she tried to scoot away from the blade, but his grip on her was too great for her.

"S-Soul." She whispered, her eyes peered into his.

His heart tripped on a beat and his stomach twisted with disgust, disgust for himself and his mouth tasted bitter.

The innocent angel he'd taken care of sooth as best as he could, gazed at him with such betrayal and fear. Fear for _him_.

He growled and made quick work of his dagger. He grabbed ahold of her hair and quickly cut it off, leaving one side unharmed of her precious hair. "Get dressed. Something every day like but something no one has seen you in." He jumped off of her and put the hair in a silk bag.

He was going to get in a lot of trouble.

"W-what?" She sat up on the bed, caressing the spot his dagger had threatened to take her life.

"Didn't you hear me? _Get. Dressed."_

Immediately he regretted the choice of words.

Her eyes widen with fear and she hesitatively gathered her underwear and got dressed.

He growled as he put on his pants and put the silk bag in his pocket. "I was sent to kill you." He confessed as he put the dagger in its case, the metal shrieked which caught her attention immediately and backpedaled away from him.

"M-Me?" She asked flabbergast. "Why me?"

"Don't know." He stormed up to her closet and immediately grabbed a hold of a red cotton dress and tossed it to her. "Get dressed. We leave this instant."

She was on her toes. She always had her eyes on her and every time he moved, she flinched to his dismay. For the first time, he felt disgusted with himself for even thinking about killing such an innocent creature. He'd killed kids before, but never had they had this effect on him.

He's starting to grow soft.

"If you try to run away or try to blow my cover, I _will_ kill you immediately." He hissed at her. "You are dead either way. If the wrong people find out I didn't do my job, he _will_ hire someone else to kill _me and you._ If you want to live, then you do as I say." He leaned against the door with her in front of him.

"W-what will you do with me?" She asked cautiously.

He hated it. The fear in her eyes. All he wanted was to make it all go away, wanted her to smile at him like she did last night. "Save you." He grabbed her hand and pulled him toward her. "Don't speak, don't fall behind, you got it?"

She flinched and nodded weakly. "Okay."

"Good." He released her hand and quickly took of his mantel and wrapped it around her, pulling the hood to cover her hair and face. "I can't have you walking around with messy hair. It would definitely attract people's attention."

"O-okay." She whispered.

If he could, he would stab the dagger through _his heart_ just to show her he was more than willing to hurt himself rather than her. He would _never_ hurt her, he _couldn't_ hurt her. He hated himself with a passion as he held her hand, walking through the town square. She didn't hold his hand like she did yesterday. It was limp and missed the reassuring hold and the warmth pouring out of her body wasn't as pleasant. He knew he'd wounded her beyond repairable, but he was still going to protect her.

No one was going to touch his angel.

She obeyed his orders, not speaking, not making eye contact, always stayed close to him. They got out of the village and headed toward the forest which is his home.

"We're going to enter the Dark Forest. Don't worry, no ghost exists there. I've lived there for years. We only have to look out for wolves, but they aren't going to hurt us if we don't walk into their territories, which we aren't." He squeezed her hand, trying to regain some of her broken trust for him. "Nothing will happen to you. I'm not going to hurt you and I won't let anyone harm a hair on your head."

She did not reply, but her fingers in his grasp twitched.

If it was a good or bad sign, he did not know.

He led her deeper and deeper within the forest. The tall trees blocked out the sun's rays from touching them. The bushes rustled mysteriously, making Maka's head whip to the direction of every tiny noise.

He squeezed her hand, she whipped her face to his and gasped. He looked into her wide frightened eyes. "Squirrels." He answered, squeezing her hand reassuringly again. "We're almost there."

She gulped and slowly nodded.

His mantel she wore dragged along the ground, too long for her to wear properly. He watched as her eyes widened at the look of his cabin coming into view. He released her hand and wrapped it instead around her shoulders. "This forest can be dangerous if you aren't careful." He came to a halt, the cabin was about one-hundred feet away. "This is as far as you can go. If you wander too far, you could accidentally stumble on a wolf's den."

She nodded, showing she was listening.

"You can talk. We're safe." He pulled up the dagger from his pants and quickly made an X on the tree. "You don't go further than the X."

"What will you do to me now?" She whispered, keeping her eyes away from him and the dagger. She trembled underneath his hand, which caused his heart to sink.

"Nothing you don't want to do. I'm not going to harm you. I'm protecting you." He put the dagger back in his case and led her toward his cabin.

"What if I want to return?"

"Then you will be killed in your sleep." He quickly spoke as they reached his cabin. He opened the door and held it open for her. "If you are unhappy here and would rather be somewhere else, I will help you, but you have to give this place a chance."

She entered his cabin, her eyes wandering to his tiny bed made out of dried hay with sheets over it to then wander to the unstable wooden table with a chair. She took a step toward the kitchen area and her hand gently brushed over the pot and the sticks holding it up. Her eyes wandered to the knife and a cutting board.

"I'll have to make another bed for you. For now I'll come up with something for you to sleep on." He closed the door and leaned on the wall, watching his angel examining his cabin. "I'm going to head back into town to get some stuff. Please, stay inside. Don't go running off, if you do, you will be killed by wolves."

She flinched and slowly nodded. "Okay."

He left her inside of the cabin.

He first went to Kid Death and showed her hair as proof of death. He was paid handsomely and went over to the market where he bought fruits and other vegetables, milk, bread and a cake he saw in the window. Immediately he thought of Maka, waiting for him inside of his cabin. Instantly he bought it for her, went and bought fabric, sowing tools, yarn and a knife for her own use.

The dark fell and he walked inside of the Dark Forest. It was pitch black, but he already had the whole forest memorized from the smallest branch to the biggest of lakes. His heart tumbled again when the cabin came up, the inside was lit, welcoming him home. In his window, he saw Maka peering out into the dark, looking for wolves or maybe, she was looking for him. He hoped it was the later.

As soon as he came close enough for her eyes to see him in the dark, she jumped and immediately walked away from the window.

When he walked inside of the cabin, she sat in front of the pot, fisting the material of her dress. She didn't turn around to face him.

"I bought food." He said, walking up to her and dropped a bag full with the food. "Is there something you wish to eat from the things I bought?" He continued to his cooking table and put the cake on it. "I hope you like strawberry shortcake―"

"You can make a vegetable soup and eat it with the bread." She said as she peered inside of the bag.

"I haven't really done something like that." He walked up to her and took a seat beside her. To his amaze, she didn't flinch away.

"I can make it." Instantly she stood up from the pot and went over to the table. "I know how to make it." She got all the vegetables out and grabbed the knife, starting to chop the vegetables into cubs.

He watched her with interest. She seemed to be so caught up in the moment as she chopped up a carrot. He guessed it was her passion to cook, he had to remember that the next time he went to the market.

"Can you light a fire, please?" She asked but she never took her innocent eyes off of the knife and the vegetables.

"Of course." He arranged a fire at the fireplace with branches and dried leaves. With the help of a stick and a bow. After a few minutes working on the fire with the sound of Maka's chopping, the fire lit up and he moved the pot over the fire. "Do you want me to put butter in the pot?"

"Please do. I'm almost done."

He grabbed the butter from the table and put some in the pot.

They worked quite well together. She made the food and she was more than happy to teach him how to make a good soup. He was happy watching her cook. She was definitely in her element and her eyes were as innocent as before the night they spend together.

His own body betrayed him multiple times. The smallest brush of fingers to her eyes looking at him, his stomach tripped all over again and the warmth spread and awakened his body.

"I bought some fabric and sewing things for you." He spoke up as he dipped his bread in his bowl of hot soup. "Maybe you could make a dress or something out of it."

"Thank you." She took a bite of her breath and sipped the soup with her spoon. Silence filled the air and his skin prickled. He wanted her to talk, just like they had a day before. It was too weird for his liking. He'd lived in silence his whole life and he liked it, but now all he wanted was for her to talk.

"Who hired you?" She got before him.

"To kill you?"

"Yeah."

"Normally I wouldn't say to anyone who it was," he shrugged his shoulders and took a bite of his bread, tasting the delicious broth on it. "But I'll make an exception. His name is Kid Death."

She gasped loudly and her bowl with soup hit the ground. "Kid?!" Her green eyes went wide and they filled with utter shock. "It was he?!"

"You know him?"

"Yeah!" Her hands clasped above her chest. "We grew up together and a month ago he asked for my hand, but I turned him down." She stood up on her feet and backed away. "I can't believe he would do such a thing!"

"I can." He sighed and put the bowl of soup on the table. "I got a lot of missions from him. He always wanted women dead for most of the part, occasionally there were men but mostly it was young women he wanted."

"Oh Kid." Her eyes dropped to the floor and so did the spark. "How could he? He was always such a fine man."

What could he say? That he was secretly a snake and wanted every woman dead? Soul couldn't say it when _he_ was the one to kill them. He wasn't any better than Kid Death, he was worse for committing his crimes.

"Many people wear masks." He started. "He wore one."

"And you too?" Her eyes wandered up to his.

"Yeah," He shoved his hands in his pockets, "I have to, but in sort of way I only wear it half. I always have an identity I go from, but I never hold it up completely. I always have my own touch and twist to it. It is a mask, but it isn't a full mask."

"That doesn't make much sense."

He chuckled heartily and walked around the pot to his angel. "It's like stealing someone else's painting. You change the image a little and then claiming it's yours. It's almost the same thing."

She turned silent and her eyes lost their spark, but they never left his eyes. "Was everything I learned about you a lie?"

"Most of it. I'm more than willing for you to meet the real Soul Evans if you're interested."

"If I'm going to live here," A smile spread on her face, which surprised him, "I would like to know you for who you are even though if it is very scary."

Soul cleaned up the mess Maka made as she started to work on another bed, taking firewood and taking a fabric over it. She tried as hard as she could as making it as comfortable it could be. When Soul finished cleaning up, he grabbed a paper the carrots were packaged in and a coal from the fireplace and started to draw on it the area of the woods. He drew the lake only a half a mile away, the territories of the wolves and the safest way out of the woods. He never knew what could happen, the possibility of him dying on a mission was possible, so he needed to make sure she could get out of the woods safely if she needed to.

He put up the map on the wall and pierced the kitchen knife in it. He'd have to nail it up on the wall later, but now it was time for them both to sleep.

He knew how to seduce women into bed, but he sure didn't know how to _take care_ of a woman. First mistake he did was almost made was taking the bed and making her sleep on the uncomfortable pile of branches. The second mistake was taking the pillow, but he returned it before she fell asleep. It wasn't comfortable to sleep on, but he managed to fall asleep.

A weight set on his hips and his eyes tiredly opened. "Maka?" He groaned and rubbed his eyes. She straddled his hip, her dress was hitched up on her thighs, exposing those long pale legs of hers. "What are you d―"

"Shhh," She placed her index finger on his lips, hushing him down. "Don't talk." She leaned down and to his surprise, she kissed him. His lips heated up and the warmth spread throughout his body. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back, his arms snaked around her, holding her close to him. She made him feel so many things, so many emotions tumbled in his chest and his body reacted like never before. He loved the feelings and he would treasure these moment with her, the moments his fragile angel made him feel so alive.

Maka straightened and their lips disconnected in the process. Her hands immediately grabbed the strings of her red dress and untied them.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked. He may kill people for a living, but he doesn't plan on becoming a rapist.

"Absolutely." The dress pooled down and settled on her hips, baring her porcelain skin for him. "That is if you want me?"

And he wanted her alright. Immediately he sat up and connected their lips. She was his sun and heaven, he was constantly so cold and frozen so as soon he touch Maka, he melts and finds himself warmer than he could ever remember. He shivered with pleasure and―

His eyes widen when he felt a sharp tip on his chest.

Maka removed her lips from his "Lay down." She commanded.

She'd gotten him to sit up and then when they kissed, that must've been the moment when she grabbed his dagger.

Never had he been fooled like this before.

He did as she commanded, laid down back on his bed. "Maka―"

"Don't speak!" her hands tightened around the handle, but her hands trembled. "You're a killer! You kill innocent people for money!" He detected her lower lip quivering. "If I kill you, I'll save many lives, you won't hurt anyone anymore."

"If you kill me, you will save lives." He spoke, he wasn't going to lie to her. Even when she wields his dagger and her chest completely exposed, she was still as innocent fragile as when he spoke to her the first time. He said he wasn't going to hurt her, and he meant it. "Go ahead, kill me if that's going to float your boat." He grabbed a hold of the cold metal and directed it from his ribcage to his left chest, angled the dagger. "If you stab me from this angle, you will puncture my heart and I will die in seconds. You won't have to go through any ribs so it'll be easier." He released the blade and settled his hands on her hips. "When I die, drag me out of the cabin when the sun rises. Go around the cabin and go straight forward for a half a mile. You'll reach a lake. Leave my corpse there and the wolves will take care of it." As he spoke, her teeth bit into her rich bottom lip and tears welled up in her eyes.

She inhaled sharply and her hands trembled even more. "Soul―"

"I'm almost done." His thumbs gently caressed her hips. "On the wall is a map how you get out of the forest unharmed. In the closet in a wooden box there is all my money. Take everything and you go to the next village, don't return to Death City, if you do, you will be killed. Change your appearance as well as you can so no one can recognize your face and change your name while you're at it. If you ever need help with money, go to Chupa Cabra in any town and you search for a man called Black*Star. Just say my name and he'll give you anything you need."

Her hands trembled even more and now tears trickled down her cheeks. "Soul―!"

"When you kill me, don't look into my eyes. They'll haunt you. Cover my face up as quickly as you can without looking at it. As soon as your conscious kicks in, tell yourself I was a killer and I would've killed anyone else. Tell yourself you did the world a favor." His hands wandered up her legs and passed her exposed skin and gently cupped her face, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry. You're a hero. You'll bring down the hitman Soul Evans."

"You're not supposed to encourage me." She sobbed and inhaled loudly, trying to breathe through her tears. "You're supposed to stop me and throw the knife away! Why are you saying such things?"

"Why?" His hands caressed her face, trying to sooth her pain. He didn't want to see her so upset. He wanted to take all that pain, hurt, guilt and torment from her and carry it himself. It was torture for him to watch his angel hurting. "You need to be prepared. I've lived a life I don't regret and I've been ready for death since I first picked up that dagger. I'm not afraid to die."

She sobbed loudly, her knuckles turned white and her hand trembled badly. She screamed and threw away the dagger and it dug into the wooden wall of his cabin. "I can't do it!" She cried out loudly and covered her eyes with her hands. "I just can't do it!" She sobbed loudly and cried everything out.

"Maka…" He sat up once again and pulled her close to him, embracing her. He wanted to take away her pain, but he was inexperienced when it came to comforting people. The only thing he knew was hurting, betraying and killing people, never soothing someone's pain. "Don't cry. I don't like to see you crying. What can I do in order to take away your pain?"

She kept crying out loudly.

His heart broke as he kept rubbing her back, holding her close to him. "Please, what can I do?"

"Why do you even care?" She cried, her arms were around his neck but she didn't hug him back. They hung on his back limply. "You chose to save me and you invited me to live in your home just so I wouldn't die. Why? Why me out of all people you killed, why did you chose me to spare and saved me? It doesn't make any sense to me!" Her tears stained his shirt and he absolutely broke. His little angle cried. He hated the sensation.

"Because you have something I've never seen in a person." He whispered into her ear as he caressed her back. "You're like a saving grace. Every time I touch you. I heat up like I'm ice when you touch me and when you look at me with those unbelievable green eyes of yours, I fall down to my knees, only wanting to protect you and care for only you. You enchanted me and now all I want is to make you happy."

She sobbed and hiccupped. "You love me?"

Love? He'd never experienced love. Only the half an hour love he shared with the girls he picked up and slept with, but that wasn't true commitment, not true love. He felt close to her, felt really attached to her, he knew he wouldn't leave her side if she didn't wish to leave him. He truly liked this girl very, very much, so why couldn't it be love?

"Yes. I love you damned much." The words weren't bitter, they tasted sweetly in his mouth and he knew they belonged in his mouth. He'd become enslaved by love and he was Maka's faithful servant.

She took a deep breath. Another one and she trembled in his arms. "I think I love you too." She whimpered. Her arms finally connected behind his back, hugging him back. "I feel so attached to you, I want to be with you." Her lips suddenly assaulted his neck, gently planting kiss after kiss that ignited the carve he developed for her. Their lips met and he kissed her with everything he got. "This time," She whispered against his lips, "don't you dare pull out."

He didn't.

Their time together was bliss for both of them. Every night when he returned back home, she waited for him by the tree he'd marked with an X so she could run up to him and greet him with a hug and a passionate kiss. When he walked inside of the cabin she'd prepared a meal for him and kept him company. She never asked about the bloodstains on his cloak. She knew exactly what it came from and where the large amounts of money came.

The days he didn't have a mission, they spent it together. Either they went bathing in the lake or he taught her how to throw her knife he'd gotten for her. With wolves that came close to the cabin, he thought she needed to be able to protect herself if a wolf sprinted toward her with the intentions of killing.

They were in love. High on cloud nine. Everything she wanted, he bought. Soon their small little cabin turned homier and more comfortable than ever. If the cabin was decent before, it was straight up a wonderland after. The cabin was full of fabrics in different colors and the bed was wider and more comfortable than ever. A woman's touch was exactly what their cabin needed, what _he_ needed.

That was when that dreaded day came, the day when a high noble had given him a mission to travel across the country to kill the famous king. Maka was heartbroken when he told her he was going to be gone for a very long time. Absolutely heartbroken. The day when he left, she cried river. She knew he'd to go and she had to let him go. They shared passionate kisses and promises, she would wait for him, having the cabin ready for him, having dinner ready for him when he returned and in return, he would bring her the greatest gift he could give her and love her for the rest of his life.

Month after month went by, Soul worked hard and quick, trying to get as close as he could to the king. He'd his woman waiting at home for him most likely crying herself to sleep when she realized today wasn't the day he'd return.

At day 437, the king died at his hands and he was on the way home. He ran as often as he could with his backpack full with money from the bounty and things he bought for his love. He'd never run for so long and so fast in his entire life. The three week walk back home was too long for him. He needed to be back _now_ and a second later was too long for him. He ran into the Dark Forest, the sun was slowly setting as he ran toward his home, imagining her standing by the tree with a hot meal ready for him.

The cabin grew closer and closer, the cabin came into view and so did the tree. In a pretty white dress, she stood there, hands entwined as she shifted her weight on her heels and toes as she often did.

"Maka!" His heart tumbled in his chest and he waved toward her, barely managing to contain the joy from seeing his love.

Her eyes lit up brighter than the sun itself, her presence brightened the whole forest and instantly she broke out into a run, running toward him. "Soul!"

He dropped his bag to the ground before they met in the middle, crashing into each other and their lips sought each other's. "I missed you." Soul spoke into her mouth as he ate her lips away. "So, so, so, so much. The food doesn't taste as good if you haven't made it, the bed feels too empty without you and I missed your presence more than anything." He ended up stumbling backwards since Maka kept pressing her body against his so roughly. Eventually he tumbled backwards and landed on his body. Maka quickly followed and mounted his lap.

"You've no idea how I've missed you." She spoke back to him as she tugged at his clothes. She moaned into his mouth as her hands ran under his shirt and caressed his abs. "There's something I've to tell you."

His brain sparkled. He pulled away immediately and looked into her eyes. "Is it bad? Does anyone know you're alive? Has someone found the cab―"

She hushed him slowly, caressing his stomach, making her nails deliciously scratch at his skin. "It is bad if you look at it in a certain angle."

"Tell me. Tell me now!"

"Actually," she removed her hands from his abs and stood up on her feet, offering her hand to him, "I think it's better if you see with your own eyes."

He took her hand and got up on his feet. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close to him. His heart was racing quicker than ever, what kind of trouble had Maka run into? Did he need to kill anyone? Did he need to cover her mistakes up or maybe he needed to get her something in order to make her happier or―

He walked inside of the cabin and Maka pulled him inside of the bedroom. His eyes widen and his body stiffened. On a pile of hay wrapped in a blanket laid a beautiful sleeping baby with white hair.

"Two months after you left I found out I was pregnant and was in my fourth month. I wanted to contact you and tell you but I didn't want to put you in danger. Even if I sent you a letter I wasn't sure it would ever get to you." She grabbed his hands and held both of his hands. "Please, can you forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" He released her hands and instead cupped her face. "Oh, I'm doing more than forgiving you. Having a child with you is utterly amazing. I should be the one to apologize for not being there for you when you gave birth. I should've been there through the journey. Can you forgive me?"

"You idiot." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, making his stomach stir with heat and love. "I forgive you a thousand times over. You're here now and that's what matters." She pulled away from him and caressed his arms. Her eyes fluttered down to his chest before they returned to his eyes. "And you'll have to build a proper crib for her. I tried but the nails would've only hurt her."

A large grin spread on his face. "Her?"

"Yeah," She nods. "It's a girl. She has your eyes and hair, but she has my face. She has your appetite and she's a snuggling bear just like you."

"What's her name?"

A bright blush spread on her face and she leaned into his chest. "My mother was Japanese, so I gave her a Japanese name. Ayumi."

"Ayumi." He repeated, tasting her name and rolled it on his tongue. "I like it. It's unique and exotic. Just like her."

"R-really?" She stuttered. "You don't think it's weird or abnormal?"

"It is abnormal, but our family isn't exactly normal. Our daughter is unique and she deserves a name fitting for her and I think Ayumi is the perfect name for her. Just seeing at her I can tell she's a very precious child and she will grow into a strong and beautiful woman just like her mother. And you know what," He dug his hand into his pants and started to dig around. "She's just as precious as her mother. Just as adorable and I treasure both of you." He found was he sought and he fished it up, revealing a golden band. "I love you Maka till the end of the world and I would like nothing more than to present you this ring. This could be a marriage ring, promise ring or an ordinary ring, you chose what you want it to be."

Her face lit up like a sunrise, she jumped up and down as she covered her mouth, nodding happily at him. "Marriage. Definitely marriage!" She threw her arms around him and her legs hugged his waist. "I love you, love you so much." She planted kisses on his cheeks, jaw, neck, his forehead, every piece of skin she found. He met her lips and kissed her eagerly. She set her feet down on the ground again. She looked at the golden band in his hand and he slipped it on her ring finger. Their lips locked together, kissing each other with such passion.

His life was pure sin and emotionless life of murdering people for money. Now, he had someone to live for, someone to share life with and a child with the woman he loved. He knew he could no longer live as a hitman, he needed to straighten up for Maka's sake and his daughter's and he was more than happy to quit the life of sin.


	5. Forgive me, princess

Inspired from Fall out boy's song Just One Yesterday.

Summary: Two weeks and three days have gone by. His phone stayed blank, not receiving a single call or text from the girl he missed and desired.

Contains: Implication of abuse

**Forgive me, princess**

The sound of gunshots from a M16 resonated in his small apartment. Fingers smashed on the controllers to his Xbox, one more absentminded than the other. The man beside him smashed his fingers on the colorful buttons as his eyes stayed fixated on the screen of the flat screen TV. His eyes fell toward the blank screen on his phone.

"Ha!" The guy exclaimed and Soul's character fell down on the ground. "Four in a row. You got to step up your game or else I will dominate you."

Soul wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyebrows. "I don't want to play." The controller roughly hit the dusty glass surface of the coffee table. "I'm not in the mood."

For the first time since he started the Xbox, Kilik's eyes snapped away from the TV. "Why? What's wrong, man?" He paused the game and placed the controller beside the other. His dark orbs wandered toward the blank phone of his. "Have you heard something from her?"

"No." Soul slumped down on the couch and massaged his eyelids tiredly. "It's been two weeks and three days. Nothing on Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr. Tsubaki hasn't heard anything from her either."

"Oh." Kilik put his hand on Soul's shoulder and gently patted it. "I'm sure she will call any day now. She can't be silent forever, right?"

"You don't understand!" Soul roughly slapped his hand away and slumped forward. His hands irritably ran through his hair, gripping handfuls of hair and almost ripped them from his scalp. "She's so freaking smart, too smart for her own good, she's so stupid. She's throwing everything away for― for―" he growled loudly with annoyance and ripped at his hair. "Fuck. It's so damn frustrating not hearing her voice anymore. Not after _that_."

"Listen man." Kilik leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he peered at his friend. "She will come around. You're best friends after a―"

"I don't want to be friends!" Soul roared and shot right up from his seat. He snarled lowly, exposing his savage teeth. His fists stayed clenched to the point his veins popped out of his knuckles. "I know we have chemistry. My feelings are reciprocated, I just don't understand how she can brush me away like that."

"Dude." Kilik got up on his feet. "Calm down. Have you tried to call her?"

"I spammed her phone the first two weeks. I called her but she would always reject my calls and she never answered one of my texts." An exhausted sighed escaped through his chapped lips and he sunk back on the couch. "It's just…" His fist slowly relaxed and his eyes slowly drained from the rage he felt. "It sucks being rejected. Especially from a girl like Maka-rena."

"Really?" Kilik raised his eyebrow. "Maka-rena? _That's_ your pet name for her?"

"She likes bad repetitive songs. Just like Macarena. But that's not the point!" He slapped his forehead. "I don't know what to do, dude! She doesn't want to be with me, and I can't even think about her being with that fucker."

"You know what you got to do." Kilik smirked toward Soul and slid down on the couch again. "Let's grab some eggs and trash his house. We could bring a baseball bat and destroy his mailbox. I bet Black*Star want to tag along and Kid could always bust us out of trouble if needed."

"I don't wanna."

"You know you want to. Then we could hit the clubs and we could find a hot girl for you to relieve yourself with."

"I don't want another girl!" Soul's back straightened. "It would be wrong to Maka." His hand found his chest and gently rubbed his left side. "I feel so much for her. It's just not something that can go away after egging someone's house or sleeping with a random girl. I just want to talk to _her._"

"You know where she lives." Kilik slumps back on the couch, his head resting on the red armrest. "Why don't you simply visit her?"

"I can't. She lives with her―" his nose wrinkled "―_him._" He snarled.

"You do know what you got yourself into when you met her. You knew she had a―"

"Don't say it!" Soul quickly covered his mouth with his tanned hand, but not as dark as Kilik's skin. "I don't want to hear it! I know but I never thought I would end up feeling like _this_ for her."

Kilik quickly removed Soul's hand. "Dude, you need to do something about your feelings before you explode. You know what a mush of feelings Black*Star was before he and Tsubaki started dating. Get your priorities straight, go after her or you forget about her. If she hasn't contacted you by now, maybe she won't ever."

Soul sighed and collapsed on the couch. "Rejection s―"

Loud bangs on his front door resonated through his apartment. The knocks on the door were loud and quick, whoever was on the other side of the door was in hurry.

"Coming!" Soul yelled and got up from the couch, only the banging seemed to quicken. Soul gripped the doorknob while Kilik peered curiously over the couch. The doorknob twisted and before he even could fully open the door, it ripped wide open.

Soul's eyes widen when he saw an exhausted and out-of-breath Maka. In her pajamas it seemed. She pushed Soul back inside of his apartment and swung the door shut behind her, making sure to lock it behind her.

"M-Maka?!" Soul exclaimed as his eyes wander up her bare feet and exposed legs and arms. It wasn't appropriate attire for a winter in Nevada, even though there was never any snow, it could still get quite cold.

"S-Soul." Tears almost clouded her eyes.

Before he knew it, Maka had tackled into his chest and hugged him tightly. On instinct his arms wrapped around her tiny frame and held her close to him. "What happened? Why are you wearing shorts in winter?"

"I will make us some hot coco!" Kilik quickly yelled from over his voice and headed inside of Soul's kitchen.

Maka sniffled loudly and buried her face in his chest. Her face was cold and so was her back. Almost as cool as ice. "I'm sorry."

"You're cold as ice!" Soul inhaled loudly and steered her inside of the living room. He made her take a seat on the couch and immediately hurried inside of his room. Ripped the blanket from his bed, he returned to Maka and wrapped it around her. "You need any extra clothes? Pants and maybe a hoodie? Kilik will soon return with―"

"Stay." Her hand caught his.

He couldn't deny her. He took a seat beside her and placed his hands on her biceps, warming her up slowly with friction. Only the friction from his hands and Kilik rooming around in the kitchen was heard.

"I'm so stupid." She murmured and leaned into his touch. "I thought maybe there was a chance I could make a difference, you know, for myself."

He cocked his eyebrow. "What are you t―"

"The hot coco is ready!" Kilik strolled inside with a tray of two mugs and a tea can. "You drink up. I'm going to head home." He placed the tray on the coffee table beside the controllers. "And you do remember Soul, priorities."

Soul's mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something, but Kilik walked out of the front door.

"Can you please lock it?" Maka whispered, taking a mug from the tray.

"Sure." Soul got up and locked the front door, returning to her. He found Maka staring forward on the screen with Soul and Kilik's game paused. "Did I interrupt your guy's day or something?"

"Nah." Soul grabbed the remote and pressed the red button. The TV screen turned blank. "We were about done."

"Ah, good." Maka fiddled with her fingers on the mouth of her mug. "I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

"You know you can interrupt anything. I don't mind."

"Thank you."

The room turned silent. Maka blew on the steaming surface of the coco and took a sip. Awkwardly Soul grabbed the other cup and took a sip of his own. The liquid burned his mouth and he suppressed a whimper. His throat burned as the chocolate mixture journeyed down to his belly. What was he supposed to say? Something had obviously taken place, forcing her to leave her home and run to him.

After what had last taken place between them, he was unsure of how to act around her. Could he still joke around with her? Was it still okay to call her Maka-rena, or would that be too weird? Maybe it was for the best to take a step back in their relationship.

He held the hot mug in his hand, gazing down on it. He had longed for this moment. Wanted her to explain. Wanted to feel her like that again. Of maybe, just maybe, forget she belonged to someone else and pretend like she was his. Like he always wanted her to be.

"I thought I did the right thing." Maka spoke, lowering the mug from her lips. "For myself that is, you know. I know it would've been easier to simply come with you."

Soul snapped his head toward her. "What do you mean?"

"That day." She didn't meet his eyes, staring down at her mug. "Everything with Ragnarok was going sour from a long time and with his… ways… my feelings for him was completely gone and I just…" She took a deep breath, her shoulder rising and then lowered. "I guess you came in the picture."

"Is that a bad thing?" Soul nervously tapped the white mug in his hands. A habit he had developed when he met Maka.

"Oh no!" She shook her head, her pigtails whipping her face. "Having you as a friend was never a bad thing. I have always enjoyed spending time with you, and somewhere during that time, I did start developing feelings for you."

His heart skipped a beat, immediately he put his mug of coco away on the tray. Carefully he placed his hand over hers on her equally white mug. "You do like me? Then why did you run away after I kissed you?"

He detected a light blush growing on her cheeks. "It's not like I wanted to run away." Maka gulped as her green eyes watched as Soul pried the mug from her hands, placing it on the trey. "I would've loved to stay with you, but I had to take care of Ragnarok."

"Then what is―" His eyes widen. The skin under her eye was blue. Too blue to be from fatigue. Soul grabbed a hold of his blanket and tugged it down from her body. She gasped loudly and countless of blue and purple bruises covered her arms and legs. The ones most disturbing was the red hickies on her inner thigh glaring at him. "What the fuck did he do?!" Soul screamed loudly with horror, his eyes stayed on the angry red marks on her intimate part of her thighs.

"Soul." Her hands cupped his face, her hands much warmer than before. Gently she steered his eyes to hers. The purple mark under her eye started to turn a little green, proving it was an old bruise. Probably days old. "Ragnarok isn't an angel, he is abusive and I was sick and tired of him. I knew before I could start things with you, I had to finish my relationship with him. I wanted him to feel pain. Leave him quivering in pain and desperation." Her eyes left his. "But… I didn't succeed… He's a hard nut to crack and I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Maka-rena." He cupped her face and gently steered it toward his. "Is revenge important to you? Do you really need it to be with me?"

She turned silent, only looking into his crimson ones. His heart pounded loudly in his chest and he didn't doubt for a second she could hear it. His throat ran dry as he watched cogwheels turn inside of her head. "… No." She finally uttered. "Or well, to some degree. It's hard to explain. I just can't take this anymore. I really do like you and I want to be with you, I _can't_ wait any longer. I will come up with something to get him back. At least a li― UMPF!" Soul's lips smashed onto hers and unlike the last day they saw each other, Maka eased into the kiss and gently kissed him back. Their mouths moved soothingly together, no rush or hunger to press further. It was soothingly. Comfortable.

Their hands laced together and their thighs rubbed against each other's. Their mouth opened and closed, gently kissing each other just to kiss. A simple act of intimacy, to simply be closer than they were twenty seconds ago.

They had no clue how long they kissed, simply shutting themselves in their private space. When their lips parted, Soul rested his forehead on hers and smiled gently. His heart tumbling in his chest with joy. "I like you a lot, you know."

Maka giggled and nuzzled her face in his chest. "I know. You said that before you kissed me. And you know I like you a lot."

Soul smirked wide and released her hand, gently tracing her spine. "And since you are now officially with me, Maka-rena, we could fuck a little with Ragnarok. I got a pack of eggs and a baseball bat. How about it?"

What was supposed to be a cunning and sinister smile proved to be playful in his mind, spread on Maka's face. "Hell yes. He will be a whimpering mess when I trash his nice Lamborghini, like _"oh, princess, please forgive me, I promise I will change, please, just one more yesterday"_ and then I will plant a hot one on you before I grind his face into the ground while throwing rose water on his ugly face."

Okay, maybe his Maka-rena could be evil.

"Go for it. Watching you beat your _ex_ to then get a make-out session, I wouldn't really care if Kid wouldn't be able to bail us out."


	6. Reconnection

**Reconnection**

"Are you sure we should do this?" Maka avoided the blue eyes of her friend. Her fingers fiddled her red skirt as a blush grew on her face. "I mean, this is something you are supposed to do with Tsubaki and me with Soul. This is so―"

"Intimate." Black*Star finished her sentence. "It is, but we are childhood friends." His hand laid on hers. Maka's eyes connected with his blue ones. "We know each other. We were friends long before we met Soul and Tsubaki. We've been so busy with missions and our relationships with our weapons. I think it is time for us to connect."

"But," Maka's throat is drier than the desert their city is surrounded with. Her heart is going haywire and her sweat production is at its peak. Her hands glister with sweat and she wiped them on her skirt. "I mean, it feels _wrong._ What if Soul or Tsubaki finds out? Soul won't be happy with us. If we do this, nothing good will come out of this."

"But it will be an experience." Black*Star brushed back Maka's hair behind her ear before he settled his hand on her cheek. A small smile spread on his face. "An awesome experience for us. Let's not dwell on the consequences and simply do it. Don't think about the pain."

It was risky. She knew Soul would be pissed when he finds out.

But Black*Star meant a lot to her too, and they hadn't done anything together for a very long time. Soul would be mad at her, but the intimate moment with Black*Star would outweigh the consequences.

"Alright." Maka agreed. "Let's do this."

Black*Star smirked and both of them pulled toward the other like magnets.

Carton opened and moans and screams filled Maka's room. Saliva dripped from their mouths and their hands squeezed each other's. Maka shuddered and Black*Star hollered to the moon.

The door to Maka's bedroom swung open, revealing white hair and eyes bulging out from Soul's socks. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Maka gasped and gripped her throat. "Milk! Get milk!" She squirmed in her bed as she watched Soul disappear from her room again.

"Fuck!" Black*Star cursed and detached their hands so he could hold his throat with his both hands. "This was stupid! Damn so stupid!"

Soul ran inside of the bedroom first with two glasses of milk Black*Star and Maka devoured as Soul ran back into the kitchen. Their burning throats soothed only to a degree. He returned with various products. Chocolate ice-cream, bread, sugar and salt and Maka and Black*Star quickly ate of everything. Ice-cream, poured sugar in their mouths to then follow with salt before both of them starts chewing on bread.

As soon as the burn started to reduce and fatigue weighted their limbs, Soul was far from being cool.

"What the fuck?!" He cursed loudly. "I return home and I find _my best friend_ and _my girlfriend_ in her bed with a freaking wasabi pizza with jalapeño on! _We_ were supposed to eat one together! What the fuck Maka?!"

Maka flinched at the loud voice of her weapon. Her teeth dug into her burning red bottom lip. "Sorry Soul, but Black*Star and I hadn't hung out in so long and he really wanted to do it too and he came here with the pizza―"

"And Carolina Reaper." Black*Star heaved himself up on his arm before he collapsed back onto her bed.

Soul raised his eyebrow. "Seriously? Carolina Reaper too?" Angrily he crossed his arms over his chest. "Geez, thanks. Two birds in one stone."

"There is still plenty left." Maka sat up on her bed and crossed her legs. "If you want to, I could take another bite with you."

Soul's eyes immediately softened. The anger he felt dripped off his body and disappeared. "Really? You would do that?"

Maka nodded. "Of course." Maka grabbed her slice she had begun on and a new to Soul, both of them had Carolina Reaper and Jalapeño on it. "I do want to share this experience with you too." A smile stretched her face and her stomach tripped when Soul accepted the pizza slice and took a seat in front of her.

"Let's do this… special." His hand laid over her, gently removing the pizza from his hands. He moved his own pizza in between them and leaned toward it. Maka quickly caught on and leaned toward the pizza slice. Their teeth dug into half of the Carolina Reaper and a Jalapeño with the wasabi cream instead of tomato sauce and cheese. Their teeth clashed and instantly when they pulled away, the burn begun.

"Holy shit!" Soul cursed loudly and quickly laid the pizza slice into the box. "You were not kidding!"

Maka squealed and swallowed her bite. "What do you think?! Black*Star and I faking it?!"

Soul breathed heavily and collapsed on Maka, both of them panting, moaning and yelping in pain.

"Dude!" Black*Star quickly heaved up on his arms. "That is what true love is!" He jumped off the bed and grabbed the pizza carton. "And now I will leave you alone to _connect_ by yourself. I think me and Tsubaki will do some pizza exchange." He winked toward the two lovers on the bed screaming and clawing at their throats. "Enjoy the burn lovebirds!"


	7. Lighthouse

Authors note: Inspired from the song _The beginning_ by One Ok Rock. It was scareygirl15 DeviantART who suggested me to write this one-shot based on that song. It's an awesome song so I suggest you listen to it ^-^

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**Lighthouse**

His legs dangle from the ledge and the wind caresses his cheeks. The cold air nibbles at his exposed arms and naked feet. The cold steel he finds himself on cools his body furthermore. The darkness surrounding him offers no comfort. The silence is killing him from the inside and out. It's a plague he can never escape.

He feels his eyes close, but the world remains as dark as it was, no shift in the dense darkness. Shakily he inhales the cold air to then exhale equally unsteady.

If he let go and jumped outward, then he knows he would no longer be trapped in limbo. His soul would be free for the first time in many years. The weights and chains on his heart would crumble and he could finally take off and fly.

This was it. His journey. Where one chapter would end and another one begin. A chapter of agony and misery. There would no longer be hopeful thoughts of a better tomorrow to only be crushed into dust. Seven years has passed but he's still trapped in the same place he was then.

His eyes flutters open and he cracks his lips apart. His tongue moves and his throat vibrates, but his dark reality stays cold and silent.

Slowly he closes his eyes again and his hands move from the cold flat steel surface toward the juncture between horizontal and vertical. His grip tightens and his feet press against the round bars of the railing on the lighthouse.

He inhales the salty air and exhales.

He's ready. Ready for this change. He can't be afraid. Not after such a long period of pain.

And he lets g―

Warm arms wrap around his stomach, preventing him from leaving the top of the lighthouse.

Of course, only she who acted as his ears and eyes could stop him.

Her body presses against his back, her face nuzzles his back and he feels her lips move against his back.

_"You can't do this. You can't give up."_ He manages to make out from her movements of her mouth against his shirt. _"I know we'll come to a solution."_

Seven years has passed. After several experiments at gaining back his eyesight and hearing, from being hopeful to then crash into the ground still trapped in the cold dark space, he's run out of courage to continue. He's exhausted and come to accept his condition won't turn around. He's trapped in the dark and he won't accept another second of another day in the cursed realm he's left to rot in.

_"Just give it another week or two. Stein and Marie are working hard on healing the dead cells in your brain. I really do think this is the solution we've been waiting for."_ His hands place on hers. Not removing them or embrace them. Simply resting his over hers. His head slowly shake, his bangs tickle the bridge of his nose.

_"This isn't how we're going to end. This isn't how _**you**_ are going to end. Don't let Oni win."_

He'd already won. Seven years ago, Soul lost everything. He fought the battle of the century and his world came crumbling down. The comfortable lifestyle he maintained ceased to exist and he was left with the broken pieces of what he once had.

Wet spots grow on his back. Warm drops. Maybe as salty as the air he inhales.

_"If you… if you… Oni wins…"_

Soul shakes his head once again.

It wouldn't be a loss. It would be a gain. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to take off.

_"You have to be reasonable."_ Her hands tremble slightly underneath his. _"I don't want to lose you… you're my best friend…"_

And that is why he has to let go.

_"You have to understand…"_ He feels the familiar touch of her soul. Warm and soothing gently caressing his own. The silence break with bare feet hitting marble floor and the outlines of Maka's body enters his cold realm once again. Only her green eyes are clear to him. Only those two eyes that stared at him with so much grief and agony and her voice hoarse from screaming his name. Her arms had cradled him tightly to her as his blood poured out from his chest.

"Soul." She whispers and the colour he remembered naming grey, reaches out toward him. "Take my hand."

His lips part and he inhales. He hears the air sucking into his mouth and his beating heart pulsing.

"Okay." He whispers and immediately clears his throat. His hand entwine with hers. His fingers feel the scars on her skin from that day everything came crumbling down. "I told you." His thumb runs over the large bump on the back of her hand he remembered his scythe breaking her skin. "I told you to get these removed."

Her green eyes that penetrate through the darkness cast down to the outlines of her hand. To his dismay, the black void between the grey lines where he knows her body is, is decorated with the scars covering her whole body. From the scar from breaking her foot, to the scar on her head from bashing her head against the concrete repeatedly.

"And I told you," her other hand cups his and moves it to her lips, planting a long and gentle kiss on it, "I'm broken as well. I'm not going to get the scars removed until you get your senses and weapon ability back."

His heart stabs at her words.

Seven years he's begged her to get those scars removed for her own sake. Simply remembering her clutching his dying body with her own full with wounds and blood, it was tragic. Her hair was red from the wound on her head, her left eye blue and swollen and wounds on her stomach and legs pouring out her blood. Over the course of the seven years, he's felt the scars on her body and how ugly they must look. It makes him sick to the core of his soul that _he_ was the one who dealt them to her. _He's_ the reason she's damaged and covered with ugly scars.

"Hey." Her hand removes from his and he grabs his chin, steering it back to her eyes. "It's _not_ your fault. It's _Oni's_. You couldn't do anything to stop him from taking over your body to then separate himself from you. No one saw this coming. Stein… papa… even Lord Death could predict _this_. No one, not even you, knew Oni was capable of executing something like this."

"You don't understand." He backpedals away from her touch and grip. "Oni _is_ me as much as _I'm_ a part of Oni. It's my fault. I _should've_ known. Oni'd been quiet for _weeks_ and I _should've_ figured he would do this." His heart stabs at the tragic sight of her glistering green eyes. "It's my fault I couldn't protect you. It's my fault Spirit died. It's my fault for killing fifty civilians. I was―"

"Soul!" She moves close to him and throws her arms around his waist. "Don't you dare putting yourself down like this! You and Oni could _never_ be the same person. You're kind, loyal and caring. Oni has none of those qualities and if he did, he would've _never_ done this." His heart clenches painfully as she nuzzle her face into his chest where the scar was larger and uglier than it could've ever been from Chrona's attack. "If you were as evil as you think you are, do you think I would've saved you? Do you think I would've stuck around all these years and acted as your eyes and ears?" Maka pauses. Soul stays silent. "Do you honestly think I would've shared my soul and body with you if I weren't crazy in love with―?"

"Don't." He squeezes his eyes shut as his tooth sink into his lip. "You can't love a monster. You can't―"

"I don't love a monster." Her arms tighten around him. "I love the bravest and the most unique man there is. He is my best friend and I hate seeing him suffering. He may've never studied much in our high school years, but he is clever, and I hate it when he's so stupid to think all of this is his f―"

"Maka don't." He backs one step, Maka keeps her arms caged around him as she squeezes her body close to his.

"No! You're going to hear this! I'm not going to let you brush my feelings aside like you have for years!" She sobs and it absolutely breaks his heart. He doesn't want to cause her anymore pain. "I hate it when you degrade yourself! I hate it when you think you're not worthy my love! You're not the one who decide who's worthy my love! _I am!_ You're the only one who deserves my love and I want to give it to you! Why can't you just accept me―"

"Because I can't keep using you like this!" He shudders as tears free themselves from his eyes and trickle down his cheeks. "You offer me your vision on daily bases. You offer me your ears. You've already given me too much and I can't take your heart. You deserve some―"

"What?!" Maka screams and her hands fist the fabric of his shirt. "_'I deserve someone who isn't broken'_? I want you and you don't have the right to decide who I love. I love you and I know you love me."

"Y―"

"Don't try to deny your feelings!" A sob escapes her throat and she screams into his chest. "You would've _never_ kissed me all those times if you didn't love me! I know you aren't a bastard who plays with people's hearts! You would've never slept with me all those times if you didn't love me too!"

She's right. He loves her beyond his own understanding. If it weren't for her, he would've died seven years ago. If it weren't to her, he would've died of depression. Every day he laid on the bed completely closed off in his dark realm of silence, Maka was the one who forced him out of his room and started to live. She always rip him out of his room and force him to hang out with their friends, she could never erase the fact he's a burden to her. Constantly having to be glued to his side, even love wouldn't d―

"Why can't you understand?" She whimpers and his shirt is soaked with her tears. "Even if it weren't like this, I would _always_ want to be around you because I love you. You're not a burden because I _want_ to do this. Not out of guilt or out of pity. I do this because I don't want to be with anyone else than you. As a girlfriend or a meister, we've always been a team and that is how I want to keep it."

He closes his eyes and his head rests on hers. Her hair tickles his nose and the smell of her flowery shampoo reminds him of all those times they shared a bed and he woke up with her hair in his face. Slowly his arms wrap around her and he's the one whimpering. "You're right." He sniffles and squeezes her in his arms. "I hate you for knowing me so well. I hate myself for loving you this much. I know the best thing for you is to be set free, but I selfishly steal you away and force you to love―"

"You could never force me to love you." Her grip on his shirt loosens and her thumbs gently draw circles on his back. "Please Soul, let's go back inside. You're cold and I think a cup of coco and cuddling is exactly what you need."

He snorts and plants a kiss on her temple. She'd always be his biggest fan and supporter, and he would always be hers, even if he did some hurtful things to her. He would always value her happiness and well-being before his own. Like she would always value his more. She would always be the lighthouse on the shore, guiding him toward land in the darkest of hours. She would always be the light at the end of the tunnel and the sun to his world.

"Fine. But I want to cuddle first."

She giggles as she slowly pulls away from him and entwine their hands together. "You're such a cuddle bug." She rises to her toes and plants a kiss on his cheek. "But that's just one of your thousands of qualities I love about you."

The corner of his lips twitch and he can't help but to smile.

Maybe his time hadn't come yet.


	8. Guardian of Eden

This is a Stardust-ish AU. I got the idea and it turned out like this. I hope you like it!

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**Guardian of Eden**

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. A burgundy red silk dress covered her majestic legs and white sleeves grew out from her dress and ended at her jewelry-cladded fingers. Her bright sapphire eyes were like the sky they were under. Golden locks ran pass her shoulders and gracefully framed her long aristocratic face. The woman covered her giggles with a fine black feather fan as her long rich eyelashes fluttered.

Soul's throat ran dry and he gulped loudly.

The bouquet of red tulips weighted heavily in his hand, at least hundred pounds more than their original weight. He became more aware of the copper ring in his pocket.

He was ready. Today was the day he would finally propose to the love of his life and hopefully as soon as she turn eighteen, they would marry each other and live happily forever after like his brother enjoyed to tell him.

His heart raced in his chest, tumbling around repeatedly, tripping on its own beats.

Never before had he felt like this toward a woman. He desired her ever since she first visited the Evans's brothers' archery field. From his desk inside of his little work shed, he continued to watch the beauty twirling in her dress, her feather fan covering her obvious smile.

Soul inhaled another deep breath and got up from his seat from within the shed. He held the flowers close to his chest and headed toward the frail door. The doorknob twisted before he could even touch it and the door slid open.

"Soul." His brother stood in the entrance. "We need another arrow bag―" He stilled. His blue eyes settled on the bouquet of flowers in his hands. "What are you doing with those? Don't tell me you spent your week's salary on flowers?"

The moment of truth.

"Wes." Soul's grip on the bottom of the flowers tightened. "I'm going to propose today. To Elizabeth Thompson."

Wes stilled, completely froze on the spot. His eyes stayed fixated on the tulips in his hands. "Are you completely out of your mind?" He snarled, their eyes locked and Wes looked pained, angered and sorrowful. "Elizabeth is an aristocrat and she has Death the Kid on her tail. You do not have any chance." He groaned with annoyance and ran his hand through his blond hair. "Soul. I love you to death, but you are not supposed to spend your time and feelings on someone like her. You do not have a chance with her. Why do you not visit the flower girl? I know she fancies you and she would love to spend the rest of her life with you."

Soul groaned and lowered the flowers. "I do not want her."

The same day, early that morning when he bought the flowers, the girl with hair as brown as dirt, she smiled dreamily toward him and she even lowered the price for him. It wasn't hard to know she had a thing for him. The only problem was he was an unavailable man in love with someone else. There was no way he could give her a chance.

"You do not understand W―"

"Oh, _I do_ understand." He raised his left hand, exposing the silver ring on his finger. "I am married after all, but what you feel toward Elizabeth is not love. You have barely spoken to her. You can impossibly love her since you know nothing about her. You are only in love with her appearance."

Soul grimaced at his brother. "But I do love her." He stated. "I cannot stop thinking about her and I do want to be with her." He inhaled loudly and puffed out his chest. "And if you excuse me Wes, I am going to propose. A bag of arrows is under my desk." And he walked passed his brother and exited the shed.

He could not help but to gaze at the beautiful creature seductively fanning herself with the expensive fan with black feather coming from a true ostrich from Africa's savanna. It was a rumor it was a gift from another aristocrat who had travelled a long journey to ask for her hand.

Soul knew he had competition. Serious competition. There were at least twenty suitors who desired her hand in marriage, and he was the only one coming from the craftsman class. He might be in the biggest disadvantage because he couldn't give her a feather fan from ostriches form Africa, but he could give her his heart and devotion forever. He would work hard for her, and he was going to work until she accepted his hand in marriage.

He neared the woman and smiled wide. "Elizabeth!" he waved toward her.

The woman snapped her head toward his direction and her eyes widen. "Soul." Her eyes quickly looked toward left and right. "Do you not have work to take care of?"

"Not at the moment, miss." He came to a halt just in front of her. "These are for you." He offered the red tulips to her.

"For me? Oh Soul." Reluctantly she grabbed the flowers from his hands. "You really did not have to buy me anything." Her eyebrow twitched for a second.

"I wanted to give you something. I know it is not like a large bouquet of roses. I did work hard and scrapped together money to buy you a bouquet worthy of your beauty, but these flowers look pitiful in your presence." Soul had heard cheesy lines from Wes's wife Blair on how to impress a lady, but his line didn't seem to make her knees shake or her body to heat up.

"What are your intentions?" She blurred out, immediately gasping and covering her face with her fan. "We cannot talk here. Let's go somewhere more private." Instantly she spun on her heels and strolled quickly away from the archery fields. Soul quickly walked, almost jogged to keep up with her. They rounded the house he shared with his brother and his wife and Elizabeth came to a halt. "There." She slowly lowered her fan, exposing her eyes. "Now we can talk."

"Elizabeth." Now was the time. "I am aware you are not of age for marriage but I would like to receive the great honor of a―"

"Stop." Elizabeth rested the feather fan on his lips. "I know what you are about to say. My answer will be a no."

Hi eyes widen. His heart suddenly felt a lot tighter and his smile fell off his face and shattered on the ground. "No?" Soul pushed away her fan. "But I do love you Elizabeth! I may not be rich as your other suitors, but I can guarantee you my feelings for you are real and I would not wish to spend my life with someone else than you. My feelings are more genuine than theirs and I promise you I can give you a secure life filled with love and―"

"It does not matter Soul." Elizabeth sighed heavily and waved her fan at her face. "I am adapted to a certain lifestyle. I do not wish to downgrade myself from aristocrat to a craftsman's wife. That is far from what I desire from my life."

"But I can prove my loyalty to you!" His knees gave in and he kneeled in front of her. "I will prove my devotion to you! Please Elizabeth, give me a chance to prove my love for you!"

She hummed slowly and rested her hand on her chin. "A chance, huh?" She silent. "Alright then."

"Really?!" Soul shot up on his feet, his face brightened like the sun gazing down at them. "I promise you I will not―"

"You have not even heard what the deal is." Elizabeth stated and lowered her fan. "That bouquet is pitiful just as you said." And she consciously tipped the bouquet of tulips and they hit the ground. "I do like flowers so you will have to give me something extra, or rather, _take me_ to some place extra special." A sly smile spread on her face. "I wish for you to take me to the most amazing garden ever created. I wish for you to find Garden of Eden and take me there before my eighteenth birthday. If you do not manage, I will marry Death the Kid, and if you succeed, I will give you my hand in marriage."

All he had to do was find the garden. It wouldn't be that hard he thought. That was until he had found out from Wes's wife it was a place that was only known in the bible. Elizabeth had taken an impossible mission for him to gain her hand in marriage, but he was more than determined to take her to Garden of Eden and earn her hand.

The next day, he headed into town and talked to the priest. The priest Justin Law told him everything he knew. How Adam and Eve lived there and how they were banished from there. The priest offered only stories about Eden that had no answers on how to get inside of there, but something did jump out from the normal.

"It says after Adam and Eve were thrown out from Garden of Eden, God created a guardian from the strongest flower in the garden to watch over the gate to Eden so they could never return."

A guardian. That meant he had to go after this guardian. It would probably be easier than chasing some weird voodoo ritual to get inside of Eden.

Soul wandered down the streets, away from the church. All Soul had to do was find that one person in the world, get the guardian to open the gate for him and Elizabeth to enter. All that within two weeks. Easy.

What can he make of this "guardian" then? God's creation which has the mission of guarding the gate. He created the guardian from a flower from the Eden, just like Eve was created from Adam's rib, the guardian had some connection to Eden other than being created form there. Maybe the guardian had a thing for flowers?

It was a farfetched guess, but it was a lead and he could investigate it. It was better than wandering the streets without anything to investigate.

He grimaced as he headed toward the small floral shop he visited only a day ago. His stomach stirred with annoyance of seeing the girl again. The floral shop came closer and closer and a weight slowly lowered his shoulders.

Soul rolled his eyes and pushed the door open. The clock rang and immediately the girl's eyes sparkled with joy and straightened her back. "Soul!" Immediately she rounded the desk and strolled up to him. "I didn't know you would come in today."

"I need you to answer some questions for me." Soul jumped on the subject.

Her eyes fluttered with confusion. "Huh? Okay, what is it?"

"Do you have any regular customers?" If the guardian liked flowers, it would visit a flower shop often, right?

"Of course I do!" She fiddled her hands. "Why you ask?"

"Does anyone of them… seem unusual?" The bell to the shop rang and another customer entered, but the girl was not interested.

She cocked her eyebrow and slowly shook her head. "No. All of them are well clothed aristocrats."

"Hmm." What else does a guardian do…? "Have you ever had a customer that seemed more involved with flowers than others?"

"No, of course not. Many of them only buy flowers for their wives or to someone else. What is it you are getting at?" She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. "Are you in trouble?!"

"No!" He shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I'm searching for someone who can let me inside of the Garden of Eden."

"Eden?" She questioned him. "Does that place even exist? How in the world w―"

"Are you looking for Garden of Eden?" Soul turned around and saw a woman about his age, beautiful blonde hair in pigtails and the most amazing green eyes he has ever seen. Green just like leaves and green apples. In her hands she held one single daisy and around her shoulders hung a traveler's mantle. "In that case," his eyes returned to hers, "I suggest you stop searching. Nothing good can come of it." The unknown woman quickly paid the girl for the daisy and exited the shop.

Soul blinked in confusion. Was that a warning? Or maybe it was a threat? Or was she giving him advice? She did appear to travel so maybe she had seen and heard things about Garden of Eden he had not. The traveler would be a great source of information!

He made a step toward the exit when the girl's hand lashed onto his elbow. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "There is something I would like to give you."

"Um, Jacqueline, I'm kind of in a h―"

"It will only take a second!" Quickly she returned to behind the desk, placed the money in the cash register and ducked under the table. "I was going to visit you this afternoon, but since you are already here, I can give it to you now." She returned up with a large grin on her face. On the desk she placed a white wooden box. "I know this is quite silly, but I wanted you to have something precious to me."

Soul neared the desk and peered questioningly at the wooden box. "Jacqueline, you did not need to give me anything."

"But I want to!" Her hands placed on the lid and slowly opening it, exposing a blue flower with white aerials sprouting from the flower's center. "It took me some time to find this flower, I have read this flower means eternal love and the one who wears it is meant to find their soul mate."

Oh boy. Soul gulped loudly and slowly took the flower from her hand. "Thank you, I guess. I could use some extra luck winning over Elizabeth's heart."

The shocked face of hers didn't surprise him, but it needed to be said. Quickly he left the floral shop and placed the flower in his chest pocket. His eyes wandered for the blue traveler's mantel she wore, but he did not find her.

With heavy shoulders, he returned home. He ignored the greeting from Wes's wife and immediately went straight to his bedroom and locked himself inside.

He had lost that woman. No matter how long he searched for her, he didn't find her. He even asked the villagers if they had seen her, but no one had seen her. She was gone just like that.

His maybe largest chance of finding the guardian through that woman was gone.

Soul sighed loudly, lying on his bed.

A light rap echoed through his tiny room before the door slid open. Wes entered the room and gently closed it behind him. "How did it go? Found anything?"

"No." Soul groaned and shoved his face in the pillow. "I lost the woman that could have showed me to the guardian of Eden."

Wes rolled his eyes and took a seat on the end of the bed. "You know you are not going to find Garden of Eden. It might even not exist."

"I'm going to find it." Soul lifted his face from the pillow so Wes could hear him before he slumped back down. "I want Elizabeth and she wants me to find Garden of Eden, and so I will."

"You are utterly insane. She chose that task because she does not want to marry you and wanted to turn you down gently. Occupying you until she gets her proposal from Death the Kid." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "You deserve so much better than her. It is ridiculous how you want a girl who does not want you. Do not settle for someone who does not desire you as much as you desire her."

"She will get to know me and love me as soon as we get married."

"And you seriously think you will be able to find Garden of Eden? This is a wild goose chase. Why can you not go meet girls who actually do like you and who actually desires to marry you?"

"If you are implying on Jacqueline that is impossible. I do not hold any feelings toward her." Soul rolled onto his back and sighed loudly. His eyes glued onto the wooden roof. "I cannot stop thinking about Elizabeth. Her smile is enchanting and I simply cannot see myself with anyone than her. "

Wes ran his hand through his hair. "Hey." He put his hand on Soul's shoe. "Look at me." Soul moved his eyes and they locked with his blue ones. "If you want Elizabeth, then go for it, but I want you to know I do not support this. I believe you deserve better, and with better not some high class woman. You can find a better person than her in a peasant."

"I hear you." Soul sat up on his bed and removed Wes's hand from his shoe. "But I think I deserve a person like Elizabeth, and she deserves someone who loves her and I know I am the perfect guy for her."

"You know what." Wes smirked and quickly got off the bed. "The guardian was created by God, right? Then how about you pray to him? Maybe you will get some spiritual guidance. If you are truly meant to be with her, then he will help you even if that means inviting you to Garden of Eden."

Soul's eyes widen. "That is actually a really good idea!" Why hadn't he thought of that before? It was such a _genius_ idea and he felt stupid for not coming up with it on his own.

"Good luck." Wes patted Soul's shoulder and he stood up from the bed. "Blair is making dinner. Carrot stew. It will be done soon." And he left Soul's room, closing the door behind him.

He kneeled in front of his bed and laced his hands together. He cleared his throat as he rested his elbows on his covers. "Um, I guess I should apologize for not going to church as often as I should." Soul paused. "But I have a favor to ask of you. I love Elizabeth with all of my heart and I would want nothing more than to marry her in your house. Please, God, if you hear me, please take me to the guardian guarding Eden." Soul closed his eyes. "Please, God, I wish to meet the guardian of Garden of Eden so b―"

A gasp ripped his throat and his eyes snapped open. His chest was hot. Really hot. His room brightened and quickly filled with only light. The floor under his knees was suddenly gone and so was the bed on his elbows. Wind blew in his hair and ripped at his clothes.

His breath is taken from him due to the air pressure and he finds himself in the white space for ten seconds before it discards as quickly as it came.

He's _in the air_ and far up too. He goes crashing to the ground and clashed into something and tumbled to the ground.

His eyebrow narrowed when he heard a very feminine groan. "What are you doing on top of me?!"

He was lying _on top_ of someone.

"I'm so sorry!" Quickly he got off of her. "This is going to sound very strange but I was in my room and―" His eyes widen when his eyes locked with green eyes of the woman he'd met in the floral shop. "It is y―"

Her eyes quickly wandered down to his chest and widened to twice its size. "How in the world did you find a Zicquidas?"

His eyebrow cocked down to his chest and noticed the flower that had gloved softly through his pocket. "Oh this?" He fished it out of his chest pocket. "The girl in the floral shop gave this to me. Said something about finding their soul mate." Realization hit him a moment later. "Are _you_ my soul mate?"

"Of course not!" Quickly she snatched the blue flower from his hand. "This is a Zicquidas flower and it is extremely rare! These are not _supposed_ to exist on earth! This kind of flower grants any of your wishes."

"Huh?" Before he had suddenly crashed into her, he had prayed. Prayed God would take him to the guardian of E― "Are _you_ the guardian of Garden of Eden?!" His eyes only widen even more as the truth sank in. "You really _are_ the guardian! You got to let me inside of E―"

"Absolutely not!" She got up on her feet and dusted off her mantle and the skirt of her dress. "I cannot let anyone inside of Eden. God created me to not let a single human being inside."

"Please!" Soul stood up and clasped his hands together. "I love Elizabeth and if I do not take her inside of Garden of Eden in two weeks she will not marry me!"

"No." She straightened her messy mantle and fixed the daisy brooch keeping her mantle around her neck. "I have seen many fools like you and I will not let you or your creepy girlfriend inside of Eden just because you supposedly love her and want to marry her and spend all your time with her." She growled annoyingly and stormed away.

"Wait!" Soul quickly follows the woman, looking around. Sand, sand, cactus and more sand. He was definitely in a desert and the sun had gone by and the moon graced the sky with its presence. "Where are we?"

"None of your business. Just go straight backwards and you will find Death City."

"Are you serious?" He caught up to her and walked beside her. "I cannot go back alone. You got to come with me and show me and Elizabeth Garden of Eden."

"No. No. No and NO!" She came to a halt and glared at him with those amazingly green eyes. "And you are _not_ coming with me. Go away."

"No way. I'm not leaving you. Even if I did not need you, I would not leave. We are in a desert? How can you not feel how cold it is out here and there are _things_ coming out during the night and I do not want to see one when being all alone." Soul followed her close to her side. "I could get killed if I leave you. You are some sort of Godly creature, so you should be able to take those out, right?"

"That's something you are not equipped to know." She came to a halt and stared right into his eyes. "Look, you are getting yourself into business you are not qualified for. You are better off leaving now than sticking around. Do you get it?"

"No." He took a step closer to the woman. "Please, I'm begging you Miss or Guardian, please come with me back to Death City. I love Elizabeth with all of my heart and I do want her more than all of her suitors combined. Please Guardian." Soul's knees gave in and he collapsed on the sand. His forehead hovered over her brown boots. "I beg you, please help me marry the woman of my life."

The woman is silent. Soul stayed on his knees and hands.

"Get up on your feet."

Soul got up on his feet, shock widened his eyes when his met hers. They were so soft, unbearable soft. Utterly beautiful color of green. He liked this color better than the strain and angered one.

"I'm in. Only on one condition."

"Anything."

"I'm not agreeing on letting you or her inside of Garden of Eden yet. If I determine you both to be as worthy of each other and so head over heels in love, then and only then will I grant you with the presence of Eden."

Soul was happy. It might not be the victory he sought for, but he was determined to prove the Guardian his love for Elizabeth and he's more than sure Elizabeth will love him when she meets the Guardian.

The Guardian had lied to him the first time. They were cities away from Death City and Soul had no idea how she could've made it so far in such a short time, but he was sure it was a Guardian ability. On their way toward Death City, it was odd travelling with the Guardian. She was awfully quiet, only occasionally speaking when it was either time to take a break from walking or time to sleep.

He didn't know what happened between them. One day when he woke up on the sandy ground, she was already up and preparing breakfast for them both. Her smile brightened his day and his heart stumbled― no, threw itself over a cliff and hit the rocky wall of the mountain. As they walked the feeling continued. Her sweet voice made his throat run dry and as she kept talking and he got to know the Guardian, he found himself slowly moving closer to her. A yard was no longer in between them as they walked. Occasionally their hands would brush and when they did, his heart threw itself over the cliff in the most pleasurable and delicious way.

The days went by quicker than he wanted to, strangely.

"Where only a city away from Death City. We should arrive there tomorrow." Guardian spoke as they wandered down the streets together.

Soul flinched. Only a day with the Guardian left. What would happen then? Would they simply walk their own w― Elizabeth. He had forgotten all about her for a moment. The last days, he'd simply enjoyed travelling with the Guardian.

"There should be a flower shop around here…" Guardian murmured and her eyes wandered. They wandered over the women walking with their man before they widened. He noticed they locked at a wooden sign with a bouquet of purple flowers. "There it is!" He enjoyed seeing her eyes light up so brightly and the large joyful smile spreading on her face. Those perfect rosy lips of hers were something else, indeed. Nothing like Elizabeth's lips or even Blair's. He'd never seen a woman with lips as pink as hers.

His fingers tingled deliciously and his stomach clenched. He caught himself licking his lips as he followed the Guardian.

The Guardian quickly got inside of the flower shop and found the section where the flower shop kept Daisies. Every time they would arrive at a city, the Guardian would always enter a floral shop and buy a single daisy. Her nose would always wrinkle adorably as she inhaled the scent before she would attach it to her necklace with an identical beautiful Daisy.

He already knew the Guardian had a thing for flowers since she was made from the Garden of Eden, but he learned she absolutely loved and adored Daisies.

From the exit of the floral shop, he watched her pick out a Daisy and pay for it, to then inhale its scent. Her eyes were closed with ecstasy and her lips stretched into a lovely smile.

His heart rolled down his body and onto the floor. He did not look forward to when they arrived at Death City.

They left the floral shop, the Guardian gently braided the Daisy into her silver chain necklace with the beautiful Daisy ornament in the middle.

"Tomorrow is Elizabeth's birthday, right?" The Guardian questions as they walk down the street.

"Yes." Soul sighed heavily. He wished it wasn't. "We will arrive just on time."

Suddenly The Guardian grasped his wrist and they come to a stop. "You know what we should do?" He blinked with confusion. "We should go to the local bar. This is our last night together so we should make the best of it."

His heart fell and rose at the same time. So happy to do something with the Guardian, but utterly despair with the fact they would soon part. He does not want to part from the wonderful woman.

"Sure." Soul smiled toward the woman and grasped his hand and their fingers laced together. "We should have some fun."

And they headed to the local bar. As soon as they entered, people were everywhere with large beer glass in their hands. Soul grimaced at the other bar guests. Their hands removed and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close to his body. Soul pushed through the sea of customers toward the bar where both of them ordered two glasses of beer. They received their orders and they took a booth at the deepest part of the small bar.

"Is this what you humans do?" The Guardian asked as she peered down at her glass. "Drink and work?"

Soul shook his head and took a gulp of his beer. "Some people. Usually in the lower class. I do not want to spend my money on beer exactly when I could use them to improve mine and my brother's archery field or save money to buy my own house."

She nodded slowly. "To save money for your and Elizabeth's future house?"

His nose wrinkled. "I guess. To save money for a house my wife will be proud of calling her home."

"Do you think she will be proud?"

Does he? Before he proposed to Elizabeth, she had simply brushed him off to continue to gawk at Death the Kid. Elizabeth always told him she wanted a certain lifestyle which he couldn't provide at this moment. Of course she wouldn't be proud of his house then.

Soul sighed heavily and slowly shook his head. "No. Not now when I think about. I don't think she will be proud over the house."

"I think whoever you decide to marry, she would be delighted to be your wife and she would be very proud for everything you would do for both of you."

He gulped and quickly took another large mouthful of beer. Why can he picture himself so vividly returning to a decent house with the Guardian in the kitchen, making food for them both, smiling toward him and welcoming him home with a kiss? He found himself enjoying the imagination of both of them, of forever be with the Guardian and forever receive a kiss and a "welcome home" to then bask in the glory of her beauty and personality, simply hearing her talk about flowers and maybe sharing her plans about making a beautiful garden almost as breathtaking as the Garden she guards.

Soul sighed loudly and slowly nods. "Yeah, but what about you? Do you always wander around and buy Daisies? Have you done that since God created you?"

Her face twisted with insecurities and slowly she started to bite her rosy lips.

"If you do not want to answer, you d―"

"I personally was not created by God." She started. "It was my great-great-great-grandmother. No one with a body made out of flesh and bones can live forever. I might live longer than an ordinary human, but I am far from immortal." Her finger gently circles around the glass mouth of her untouched beer. "God did not exactly give instructions on what I was supposed to do, simply told me I was to never let anyone inside of Garden of Eden. Aside from guarding Eden, I can do pretty much everything else."

"Oh." Soul watched the woman stare down at the golden liquid. "How long have you lived?"

"About one-hundred years. I have not really done anything other than wandering around, going to flower stores and buying Daisies. Maybe visiting a meadow from time to time, but I have never really done anything."

"Sound like a boring life."

She slowly nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes met his and the corner of her lips tugged. "I never thought engaging with a human or in human activities could be this… special and entertaining. It makes me wish I had done this sooner."

"Hey." Soul's hand gently placed over hers and their fingers gently entwined. "I'm here." He leaned over the table separating them. "You do not need to be alone anymore. I want to be there for you."

His heart fell down the cliff.

"S―" Her eyes widen when his lips connect with hers.

He did not love Elizabeth, he loved the Guardian.

To his surprise, the Guardian did not remove herself from him. She sunk into his lips and kissed him back. They kissed each other, her hands placed on his shoulders and he cupped her face. In the haze of love and pleasure, he maneuvered around the table and ended up on the same bench as the Guardian.

His heart tumbled down the rocky wall of the cliff and he knew, once it hit the bottom, it fell into the Guardian's hands. He loved her and he wanted her as his wife. Not Elizabeth, but the Guardian. She does appreciate him and she doesn't need a grand gesture of devotion for her to want him and love him in return. He does not care if her position will cause trouble or if he has to sacrifice to be with her, he is willing to do whatever he can in order to be with her.

She pulled away from him and rests her forehead on his. "Do you mean this?" She whispered but it was enough for him to hear over the singing drunken men.

"I do. I love you. These past days with you has opened my eyes for true love and who I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I truly sincerely love you and I _know_ you are the one I want to marry."

The woman giggled lowly, her fingers gently play with the hair on his neck. "Maka."

"Pardon?"

"That is my name. Maka Albarn."

"Maka." He tasted the name in his mouth. "That is a beautiful name."

"Thank you." Maka gently removed her hands from his body and pulled away from him. "There is something I want to show you." Their hands entwine and they abandon the beer glasses on the table.

Maka pulled him out of the bar and they walk down the road and out of the city. Eventually they would stop to give each other a peck or they would share a half-hug. He could never see himself sharing something so intimate with anyone else than Maka, his little Guardian. Sharing his feeling with someone as amazing as Maka was utterly amazing. That is all he can describe it as.

They arrived at the outskirt of the city and Maka took him to a beautiful meadow where every pastel of color filled the field.

Maka turn around and lace their hands together. "I do not know how this is possible." Gently she tugged him closer to her as she slowly backs. "I never thought God would grant a guardian with emotions and the ability to feel love." She came to a stop in the middle of the meadow, her forehead rested on his. "I love you Soul Evans."

"And you know I love you dearly."

She rose on her toes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She removed her hands from his grasped and gently she cupped the daisy ornament on her silver chain. "Garden of Eden." She whispered and held his hand.

Soul gasped as he watched as the meadow slowly melted away into white. Soon there was only him and Maka before the white space was replaced with colors and plants. His eyes widened when flowers, trees and bushes were everywhere. A bush with bright pink flowers and dark blue petals was right behind Maka and beautiful green with silver hues was above them from a tall and proud tree.

"Where are we?" Soul whispered as he tried to take in all of the exotic plants and all the different kinds of colors and shapes he had never seen on plants.

"This is Garden of Eden." She spoke softly as she removed the mantle of hers. It fell to the ground and it exposed a beautiful green dress with brown strings. Her hands followed and tugged out her bands from her hair and soft waves went passed her shoulders.

His breath disappeared. He was caught by the beautiful woman in front of him. He did not care about the exotic plants, all he could see was the woman in front of him. The green dress of hers dragged against the deep green grass and her tips of her hair brushing her back as she walks toward the trunk of a bright white tree.

"God gave me permission to grant only one human being a pass inside of Eden, and only one." Her hands gently brush against the surface of the tree. "Do you know many humans do visit Garden of Eden?" She turned away from the trunk and toward him.

"I did not know that." He approached her and gently placed his hand over hers on the trunk.

"Garden of Eden is not a physical place." She explained as she stared right into his red eyes. "When humans make love, and I mean real love, they come here spiritually for the smallest of moments."

"What does that mean?"

A smile stretched on her face. "It means," her hands wrap around his neck, "this place heightens pleasure." For the first time since they arrived there, he notices his skin prickling deliciously when her thumb gently caressed the back of his neck. "Garden of Eden is Utopia. The perfect place for two lovers."

"Maka…" He whispered and their foreheads touched. "Thank you for taking me here." And their lips connect. His body quivers with pleasure and his hands tremble from the shock of delicious pleasure. It was nothing like the kiss they shared in the bar. That one was more experimental and deeper and he was so far from feeling this vortex of love, affection and kind.

That night he spent it with Maka in Garden of Eden. He lied next to her and held her in his arms. They stared up at the dark sky with the same stars as outside of Garden of Eden Maka had told him. They were still under the same sky as his brother.

Far into the night, they talked about their future. Soul was more than willing to live with her, even thought he would die and be buried for centuries before she would even grow grey hair. He was more than willing to spend his life with her even though she would not age. There was the possibility of her having children with him, but she could only have one since that is how God had created the Guardians.

They had both planned out a future together. Her job did not even take up a single minute of her day since it was very rarely she even had to do anything.

The next morning, Soul woke up before Maka. She still had her eyes closed and still snuggled close to him. A smile spread on his face and he kissed her forehead before he would stand up. His hand gently touched her cheek before he left her lying on the dark grass.

He might as well explore a little before they would walk to Death City and start their lives together. Soul walked passed the white tree and took in all the appearances of the different kind of exotic plants.

His eyes caught a special flower. It was a black rose on a black bush with silver hue on every curve. The petals and thorns looked extremely sharp. Slowly Soul approached the flower bush and kneeled in front of it. He reached toward it with a finger. Contact was made and the black flower suddenly turned to all of the rainbow's colors. It shimmered delightfully and shivered underneath his touch.

"Those are _"alonelelous"_. Quite a sorrowful flower."

Soul turned around and saw a man with shocking blue hair and it stood at every direction. He took a step toward Soul and stood behind him. "I have no real clue why I made such a tragic flower inside of such a beautiful place."

"Who are you?" It slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. "I'm s―"

"I'm God of course." The man kneeled down beside him and gently scratched the flower's petals and it quivered in pleasure just like a dog would. "I think I made this flower because just like Earth, Utopia can never be perfect. Everybody can need some love sometimes and I think that desire to be wanted was the reason why I created such a flower."

Soul simply listened. No human could get inside of Eden, and if someone did, Maka would be awake and at alert, but she was not here which meant she would have to be asleep. This man presented himself as God, and there was nothing proved he was not.

What would he even say? God stood in front of him and he had the power to do as he pleased with him.

"I can smell your fear." The man spoke― or rather God spoke without taking his eyes of the flower. "Do not worry. I hold no ill toward you although you are distracting my guardian."

Soul tilted his head. "I'm not hurting Maka."

"I know. I know there are humans with ill intentions and I know you are not one of them. She is lucky she met you and I wish her and you the best. I admire your strength to sacrifice parts of your life to be with a Guardian. It has never happened before with any of my previous Guardians that a human wants to settle down with a Guardian."

He cocked his eyebrow. "Really? No one? I can't even imagine."

"Really." The man removed his hand from the flower and turned toward Soul. His eyes were even bluer than his hair. "And for special occasion needs special treatment."

Soul blinked and when he opened them, God was gone. The flower he had cuddled with still squirmed with the aftermath of the attention it had received.

It was odd. How he for a couple of weeks wanted Elizabeth and knew nothing about Garden of Eden and now, how he found the true love of his life and he saw Garden of Eden with his own eyes and now he met God. His life was full of surprises.

Arms wrapped around of his waist and he smiled when a pair of rosy lips connected with his cheek. "You know, I would rather wake up to you next time."

"Sorry." He turned and his own arms snaked around of his waist. "Just wanted to explore a little before you woke up. I thought I was going to make it back before you woke up."

"Do not worry about it." She pecked his lips quickly. "It is hard to sleep when I feel God entering his garden."

"You heard our conversation?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I woke up when he entered and he did not mind me listening." Slowly she reeled him into a hug and crawled up on his lap. "And I cannot wait for us to start our lives together."

"Believe me." He murmured into her ear. "Our lives are already entwined. Not legally, but emotionally we are already one."

"And to celebrate that," Maka smirked and pulled away from him, "I think we have some things to take care with our dear Elizabeth."

He thought he knew everything about his dear Maka, how he was wrong. With a silent pray to heavens, a moment later there would be the desired item in front of her. Since she was the Guardian of Eden, God would grant her anything she desired.

As Soul and Maka walked down the road with their hands entwined, he was excited as he walked toward the Archery field. It was afternoon and by that time meant she was most likely place for her to be at. Soul smirked wide as he held Maka's hand, proudly walking down the street in expensive clothing only royalty could afford (or in their case, a _God_ could afford) and he was ready to give Elizabeth a piece of his mind.

The Archery field came into view and his smirk only widen when he saw Elizabeth sitting on her usual bench with her rags compared to his own clothing. The white haired man caught him and immediately he dropped his bow and ran toward him.

"Soul!" Wes hollered and ran to him.

"W―" He received a fist to his jaw and he backpedaled by the force.

"What the fuck happened to you?! You disappear for two weeks and you did not write me a single letter or a sign to know you were alive?! Have you any idea how worried I was about you and how many times Blair prayed to God for you to be okay and well?!"

Maka watched with shock written all over her face at the exchange between the two brothers.

"Geez." Soul rubs his chin. "I was fine. I was just gone to search for Garden of Eden."

"How did it go?" Wes quickly peered behind them and saw Elizabeth watching them from her bench. "It's the last day today, right? Did you find it?"

Soul quickly glanced at Maka before he returned his attention to Wes. "No, but I did find something better." Gently he tugged at Maka's hand. "Wes, this is Maka. We are engaged to be married."

Shyly Maka raised her right hand and exposed her ring-cladded finger.

Wes's eyes bulged out of their socks and stared at the silver ring. "Wow." Wes stared into his brother's eyes. "I'm happy for you Soul and Maka, but can you please excuse me and my brother, Maka? I think we have some catching up to do."

Maka smiled and shook her head. "Not at all." She rose up on her toes and she planted a kiss on his cheek. "I will see you soon." Their hands separated and he watched as Maka slowly started to make her way toward Elizabeth. Plan in action.

"How did this happen?" Wes brought back his attention. "You were so in love with Elizabeth and two weeks later you come home with another woman I have never seen before. How did this happen and how in the world did you get those clothes? They seem _really_ expensive."

Soul straightened his back as he watched Maka walk up to Elizabeth and shook their hands. "I was searching for tips on Garden of Eden and I stumbled onto her. She helped me and on our journey I fell in love with her and I learned she was the person who I was supposed to be with, not Elizabeth. Maka she loves me and she appreciates me the way I am and she doesn't need a grand gesture as proof of my love. And it does not hurt when your fiancée is beautiful, intelligent and has big wallet."

Wes's eyebrows narrowed. "Soul." He said very sternly.

"What? I'm not using her. I didn't even know she had money until today."

"Good because if my brother was to use any women, you bet I would kick your ass and make Blair put some sense into that thick head of yours."

Soul chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "If I was to do a disgusting act like that to Maka, you could beat my ass and kick me to the gutter because she does not deserve anything less than my love and a beautiful marriage. And speaking about that;" A smirk on his face grew when he saw Maka and Elizabeth walking away from each other and Maka had the largest smile on her face. "I think it is time for me to dedicating my attention to my fiancée. We are planning to marry each other in a month." And Soul walked away from his brother.

Maka grabbed her dress and lifted it up a little bit so she could run toward Soul. He smiled wide and opened his arms and she ran right into them, throwing her arms around his neck. She giggled into his ear as he spun her around. Her feet hit the ground and their lips connected for a long but simple kiss. When they separated Soul rested his forehead on hers.

"How did it go?" Soul whispered and rested his hands on her hips, gently swaying them from side to side.

"Well." She whispered back. "She tried to make me jealous, but I gave her the biggest reason to regret her stuck-up personality." Her fingers ran through the hair at his nape. "She knows who the top dog is and she will not near what is mine."

"Good." Soul's lips connected with cheeks and peppered kisses on her face. "Do you want to rest a little or do you want to look for future houses?"

"Actually," Maka's lips connected with his quickly, successfully stopping his assault on her face. "I think there is another person we have to visit." She removed her arms form his neck and retrieved a blue flower from her pocket. The Zicquidas he thought would bring you yours soul mate. "It might not be charmed to bring you your soul mate, but it did and I think it is time for us to return it to her."

Soul smiled toward her and brushed his hand through her lose hair. "I thought you destroyed it."

She shook her head. "No. I thought it might come in handy and I think that floral woman in the shop maybe could use it better than us. I do not have anything against the idea and neither does God."

"You are too kind." He kissed her forehead and cupped her hand with the blue flower in it. "Then let's do it then."


	9. Lost in the ether

**Lost in the ether**

His heart pounded in his chest. Like a sledgehammer would break cement walls and how he wished for his ribs to break. Never a day, an hour, a minute or a second did his heart not react of the thought of the girl he left behind.

He leaned against the glass of the phone booth. With sorrowful eyes he gazed at the blond girl who stole his heart in high school. The girl he shared his lunch with daily. The girl he always sat beside in the library, gazing up at her quizzical face as she solved the mathematics problems. He knew in his junior year he loved her. He treasured her greatly. He cherished her more than the air he breathed. His lunch didn't taste as good if he didn't share it with her.

But he was a coward.

And now it was too late.

She sat on a bench with her half-eaten sandwich at display. Her friends Tsubaki and Patty sat in front of her and beside her… sat her boyfriend. A guy with blond hair and blue eyes. His arm was wrapped around her they shared small loving gazes at each other. He picked up her sandwich and took a bite out of it before he laid it down on the plastic.

She giggles at something he said with his mouth full and elbowed him in the side before she planted a kiss on his lips.

His heart twisted with pain and his hand automatically clasped his hurt through the uniform of every shade of green.

"I'm a fool." He spoke into the grey phone. "I'm a coward." His nails dug into the fabric. "What did I expect? After three and you'd still be waiting for me?" He sighed and closed his eyes. "I knew I should've said something. Confessed my feelings. I knew I should've taken you to prom. Should've dressed up in those ridiculous monkey costumes and confessed my love for you in those corny fashions I knew you secretively loved." He opened them and gazed back at his love who smiled largely toward Tsubaki to then burst out laughing.

"I knew my last chance for you to know was in the airport, but I was a fool in love with the balls of an ant. Those years I served, I spent every day thinking of you. Fighting for you. You were my courage, my strength and my desire to return home alive." He bit his lower lip and to his dismay, his heart pounded just as strongly for her as it did his senior year of high school. "And now when I'm here, I was a fool thinking that no contact in three years and you'd still be waiting for me." He paused and felt the item in his pocket weight heavily. "I'm not mad. It was expected. I mean, it wasn't like you'd go on every day loving me like I love you without knowing if I was alive or dead."

His hand dug into his pocket and retrieved the banana and placed it on the payphone. "You've found someone because I was a fool for not even confessing my feelings. For not even finding out if you felt the same. I know that guy has to be a good one because you only deserve the best." His fingers slipped from the yellow fruit and gripped the side of the payphone. "Not a man like me. I hope you get your happy ending you deserve just like in those chick flicks you adore. I'm going back again. This time I may not be as lucky." He hung the phone on its original place. With one last glance toward the girl he loves, he exited the phone booth and headed toward the car to return to his duties.

On the banana he left behind he'd scribbled "I'm bananas for you" with a sharpie, which would never be given to the girl who stole his heart.


	10. A letter from an idiot of a partner

_So he was going to fix it. He was going to write an even better love letter. It was going to earn a frame of its own and she would throw away the current love letter. He could then admire her dreamy expression knowing it was his letter that brought it out._**  
**

* * *

**A letter from an idiot of a partner**

It was all the letter's fault. The A4 paper filled with neatly written letters with the cute heart at the bottom. Not to forget the beautiful old golden frame she framed the letter in after a day she'd received it. He couldn't forget the dreamy face as she read the letter over and over and over again, completely shutting him.

He hated how the letter completely replaced him. She brought the framed letter wherever she went. To lunch, to school, to outings and even to bed! He hated every time he would lean toward her to read the signature of the bastard who dared to send a love letter to _his meister_, but every time _she_ would bring the letter to her chest and glare at him like he peaked inside of her journal or something. Like he totally did until he got caught. She hid the journal now in her shoebox at the back of her closet _and_ she hadn't written anything about the love letter!

He stalked after her like a wolf on a prey. His eyes quickly scanned every male for signs of interest toward his meister. With disgust, he found plenty of possible writers behind the love letter. Like the freshmen Death Children who had a habit of waiting for her after class with flowers. He always had to chase them away or steer her away from them. He'd always been so careful to throw all of the love letters away and protect her from their evil guy hormones and dirty minds. So how, how in the world could one of them slip passed his defence and reached his precious meister?

He hated it. He hated the letter, the stupid frame and his meister's stupid reaction toward the love letter that wasn't written by him.

So he was going to fix it. He was going to write an even better love letter. It was going to earn a frame of its own and she would throw away the current love letter. He could then relax as she admired his letter. He could then admire her dreamy expression knowing it was his letter that brought them out.

He sat down. With a paper bag of ridiculously expensive sheets of paper and an even more expensive red ink pen that the saleslady described as "the magical pen of love". He wrote the name of his meister, the uncoolest girl who poisoned him with jealousy and made him go to the length of buying ridiculous items in order to help him put his feelings on paper.

After many papers and neck-massaging later, he managed to finish his letter. He sent it to his meister and he waited.

"Soul!" Maka screamed and knocked on his door before she entered. He groaned loudly and tugged his blanket over his head. "What is this?" He sighed heavily and removed the blanket as he let out a loud yawn. In her hand was the pink envelope with red heart stickers on it.

"A love letter? I thought you could figure that out on your own after reading all those romantic books of yours." He turned to his side, tugging the blanket closer to him

"No, that's not it at all. What is all of _this_ about?" She persisted and neared his bed, fully dressed in that ridiculously short skirt that showed off her long smooth legs and her fine ass.

"Huh? I've no clue what you're talking about." He watched his meister roll her eyes.

"What are you doing? I heard you ten minutes ago when you were at the door. I heard how you opened the mail drop and ran back to your room."

"It wasn't me. That could've been Blair."

"It's _6AM!_ Blair is sleeping like a rock!"

"So? It could've been the delivery guy. No one is stupid enough to go to their crush's home and drop a love letter, you know."

"Apparently you are." She sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. "What's going on? You never take the time to write down your feelings. Even if they weren't… eloquent written."

"What?" Soul threw his blanket away and swung his feet over the bed. "They were cool words!" His fists balled and his blood ran hot. He was angry at his meister for finding out it was him and she responds to his letter by completely ignoring his feelings he held toward her.

"Oh really?" Maka crossed her arms over her chest. "For more than a page you explained to me how much of a lost case in the romance department I am because of my interest for books and my _'daddy issues'_"

"It is true!" Soul stood up from his bed and marched up to her. "Both you and I know how much Spirit fucked you up and that's because you've been hung up on that love letter of yours!"

"What love letter?"

"You know what letter!" He paused. Waiting for realization to hit her, but her eyebrows stayed narrowed and her pink perfectly moisty lips slightly ajar. His blood cooled quickly and he shrunk under the gaze of his meister. "You know…" His insecurity slowly clawed their way up and burdened him once again. "The letter… the one with the heart… the golden frame."

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "Death… you're such an idiot."

"Hey I'm not―"

"That letter is from my mother." She exited his room just to come back seconds later with the frame in her hands. "It's a very personal letter from my mother. She said some very sweet words and it just felt like she was speaking to me. It felt like she hadn't been gone for years when I read the letter." She held the frame up and she tapped her index finger toward the signature of _'Kami Albarn'_.

"… oh."

He was an idiot.

"Yeah, oh." A smile spread on her face as she took a step closer to him. "So… you meant the last part of your letter? About thinking _'I'm uncool, but I would be the coolest girlfriend'_."

His cheeks heated up several degrees and he hoped she wouldn't notice. She grinned wide toward him so it wasn't difficult for him to guess he was as red as his eyes. "Y-yeah… you're the coolest person I could ever wish for."

"Even though I'm a bookworm without a social life?"

"Y-yeah."

Her grin quickly turned into a large smile. "Come on!" She lashed onto his hand and entwined their hands. "I think we should go out for breakfast to celebrate!" She started dragging him out of his room.

His eyes widened as his stomach twirled with both overwhelming joy. He let her drag him out of the apartment and down the stairs, it wasn't until the hot asphalt burned his feet he realized the uncool set of clothes he was wearing. "H-hold on a second! I'm still in my pyjamas!"


	11. Woke up in the wrong bed

This fic contains implying sexual content.

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**Woke up in the wrong bed**

She slipped on her underwear and pulled them up her mile long legs. Her clothes were scattered wildly around the room. Her dark blue dress hung sloppily on a shelf, purse recklessly discarded on the floor and her leather jacket probably in the hallway. She didn't know. In the heat of the moment, she didn't care.

She kneeled down on the floor and picked up her discarded silver necklace Liz thought would be a good idea to wear for her special friend.

It was.

She moved her hair away and put on her necklace. The multiple cool chains rested on her collarbones.

A sigh filled the room and Maka turned around to find red eyes resting on her, arms cockily wrapped behind his head. "Morning."

"You know, you are supposed to be asleep." She headed over to the shelf and pulled her dress down.

"Bah. That's just for one-night stands."

"And just because we're friends with benefits we're different?" The cool silk of her dress brushed her legs as she pulled it up her body.

The springs in his bed shrieked familiarly and bare footsteps slapped against the wooden floor. She pushed her arms through the sleeves of her dress and a moment later Soul zipped the dress.

She had known Soul for about… three months. They met at a bar, sparks flew and they hit it, but they never quit it. They grew to become special friends. They could watch a movie at one moment, to sexing it up on his carpet or sharing a Chinese meal, to ending it with her bend over the table and him slamming into her.

She spun around on her feet, but he wasn't there. Soul went passed her and picked up the purse on the floor. A smile played on her lips as she admired his well sculptured back and behind. He headed over to her and his back familiarly slouched. "You're going to a competition, right?"

He handed her the purse and she nodded eagerly. "Yup. It's in a couple of hours."

"Cool. Once it's over, you could come over here and we could celebrate your victory." He smirked cockily at her as her nails dug into the deep blue velvet of her purse.

She bit her lower lip at the hidden promise and the leftover heat flamed in her lower belly. "And what if I lose?"

"If you do, I think I can offer a consolation price."

"Awesome." Her fingertips feathered over his naked perfectly trained chest. His body… irresistible. "I will see you tonight." She spun on her heel and left his apartment.

After a long cold shower, she got dressed and headed toward her art competition she'd worked for months to attend. She'd put her heart and passion into every sculpture for the competition. She'd put a lot of money she didn't really have and time into her art in hope of winning a half million dollars. If she won, it would change her life forever. No more food stamps, no more struggling with the bills, and no more friends having to pay for her to join in on activities.

She arrived at the large museum where the competition would take place, her things were already there and set up just like they were when she left it. People pooled into the halls to witness the amazing art of the competitors and she knew, the judges would soon arrive. The great Evans family. The ones who knew art and potential when they saw it.

She swallowed loudly as art enthusiastic people engaged in conversations about her fine sculptures of various abstract modern takes on society problems. Although it was comforting to talk about her art and gain incredible compliments, they weren't the judges and she knew, when they arrived, her tongue would be tied and nerves would clog up her throat.

When her eyes set on the infamous Wesley Evans, her sweat production peaked and her hands balled. Good first impression. Smile a lot. But not too much. Balance. She could do it.

She plastered on a huge smile and as casually as she could, she wiped her hand on her jeans. "Hi!" She greeted when Wesley arrived at her table, hand outstretched. "I'm Maka Albarn."

He accepted her hand with a firm grip. "Nice to meet you Maka." Their hands separated. "This is my younger brother Solomon Evans." He gestured toward the side and her eyes settled on too familiar red eyes.

Their eyes widened and they stared at each other. Soul?! _Soul Eater_ was Solomon Evans?! He was― she had― _she nailed the judge!_

Oh no.

No! No! No!

Would she be disqualified?

"Um." He stuttered and stretched out his hand. "It's a… pleasure to meet you… Maka Albarn."

Captiously she grabbed his familiar large hand and shook it. He gave her hand a squeeze of comfort and his eyes stared dead into her eyes.

_"__It's alright."_


	12. Albino daddy

**Albino daddy**

Boring. That's the right word. Her bachelorette party was boring. Plain. Nowhere near Liz's legendary bachelorette party consisting of crutches to the face and umbrella cladded drinks. Her bachelorette party would go into the existence of being the most boring bachelorette party in the history of bachelorette parties.

She stirs the little champagne left in her empty glass. Her guests already tired and restlessly chatting in the paper lantern dressed backyard of Liz and Kid's mansion. The toilet papers caress her exposed legs and her veil covers her face from Liz's concerned eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Liz apologizes for the millionths time. "This wasn't planned. When the entertainment arrives, I swear to Death I'll fire them and kick their asses when they arrive."

Maka sighs heavily. "It's fine. I know it's not your fault." She was getting married. To Soul none the less. The love of her life. Their upcoming life would be as tame as ever. If there was a time in her life she wanted to live on the edge like her crazy friend Black*Star, it was on her bachelorette party.

Seems like a crazy night wasn't in her cards.

She fishes up the large bottle of champagne by her chair and pours herself another glass of champagne. Immediately she empties the glass in a matter of seconds, the dry liquid dehydrating her throat worse than the scorching Nevada sun.

"This isn't fine." Liz snatches the bottle from her and takes a large gulp of it. "This is your one last night of freedom of getting humped on by random guys in thongs. And they're freaking ruining everything."

"Whatever." Maka stands up and rips the toilet paper away from her waist. "Can we just… cancel everything?" She takes off her band saying _bachelorette_, dropping it on the ground as if it was a heavy weight of disappointment. That's exactly what it is.

"Are you crazy?" Liz wraps her arm around Maka, tugging her close to her. "You deserve an awesome night. The night can't end on a boring note. What would that fiancé of yours say when he finds out your party rolled while his ruled?"

She bites her lower lip. Soul would definitely feel bad. Black*Star had climbed up their apartment wall in a ninja suit and kidnapped Soul to go on his bachelor party. With Black*Star handling his party, it was for sure going to be the wildest night in Soul's life. And when he found out hers stunk worse than a skunk, he would feel bad. Terrible in fact because her night wasn't as great as his.

"I don't want to embarrass myself anymore." She removes Liz's arm from around her. "I appreciate the effort, I had fun while it lasted. Now a calm bath is in my future." And crying and ice-cream. Maka turns on her heels and walks with sorrow in her steps.

"Hey, hey! Come one." Liz hurries after her and grabs her wrist. "We can still save this lame ass party. Let's go to a stripper club. I'll pay for that cutie Sharknado to give you a private lap dance."

She sighs loudly and rolls her eyes. "Liz. I'm not—"

She cuts off herself when the sound of a loud bass arouses. The bass comes closer and it shakes the ground they stand on. Music blasts throughout the neighbourhood. The guests along with Liz and Maka quizzically look in the direction the tune comes from. The music grows and wheels shrieks loudly.

A grin grows on Liz's face. "Finally they arrive."

Maka's eyes flutter as she watches Liz snap her fingers. As if on cue, their friends immediately scatter on a secret mission. Jacqueline and Liz howl as they carry a wooden table out on and the others gather chairs― is Kim holding handcuffs?!

Loudly wheels skid on concrete and Maka whips back toward the sound. "Yahoo!" Her eyes widen at the familiar voice. Around the corner appears a golf cart with a trailer pulled behind it. Soul and Black*Star sit in the front seat with a bottle of vodka in each hand, laughing loudly as they skid to a stop in front of her.

"Soul?!" Maka screams over the booming speakers attached to the trailer. Her jaw hit the ground when he and Black*Star stumbled out of the golf cart. In assless chaps. With a dick drawn on his cheek. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Oh shoot!" Soul's drunken eyes lay on her as he supports himself against the golf cart, dropping his bottle of vodka on the ground. "Hey guys!" He waves toward the others. They too wear leather assless chaps. "It's Maka's bachelorette party we crashed!"

What in the world had they done? The golf cart was marked with … a stripper business on the outskirts of Death City, and the assless chaps, where did they get their hands on _those?!_

"Well, well," Liz snickers as she slowly near them. "Look at who hijacked my strippers' golf cart. I didn't expect _you_ to be the ones behind the delay."

Maka whirls around to her friend, stares at her with surprise. "You wanted the strippers to arrive in a _golf cart?!_"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah, I mean, having them arrive in a cop uniform is old. I wanted to spice it up a little bit."

"Hold on!" Kilik shouts as he holds onto the side of the trailer and stumbles on the spot. With nipple clamps dangling from his nipples as if they were this year's must have accessory. "Freeze!" How much did they even drink? "We could strip!" Kilik shrieks loudly as if he got the most amazing idea ever. "We're already prepared!"

"Yeah!" Soul lights up as if it _really_ was a good idea. "Dibs on my waifu!"

"We're not even married yet!"

_Click!_

Her eyes snap down toward the cold metal handcuff on her wrist. She glares at Kim who tugs at her hand. "Now this bachelorette's getting interesting." Maka splutters as Kim drags her toward the chair. Soul stumbles after her with a ridiculous wide grin on his face as if he caught the cream. Kim pushes her down on a chair and horror sets in when the handcuffs click awfully loudly. She pulls at the cold metal and her mouth widens with shock.

She's stuck.

"Waifuuuuu~" Soul drunkenly whispers as he clumsily climbs up on the table. The music blasts through the speakers and a male sings in a foreign language to an upbeat rhythm. He trips on his own feet as he shakes his booty, his cheeks wiggling in his assless chaps. Maka stares with horror at her soon-to-be husband poor attempt at twerking, his but cheeks were like a target for her hungry eyes.

Her fiancé is a bundle of social anxiety. Always the one to occupy the dark corner at every single party and the one to avoid eye contact with strangers. The same skittish man is on the table with his ass hanging out and rubbing his nipples as if they were sore.

"Hey!" He exclaims, shaking his messy hair to the beat. "Where did you get that body from?" He claps his hands and swings them high and kicks his legs oddly. The move reminds her a lot of a dance move she'd caught Soul dancing once in the kitchen. He sings along with the female singer. "I got it from my daddy." He shouts out and runs his hand through his hair. "It's true! My daddy's albino as fuck! You'll see at the wedding waifu!"

Maka gasps loudly when his foot slips and he tumbles down from the table and hits the ground hard. "Soul!"

He twists on the ground, groaning as he heaves himself up on his arms. "'m fine." Slowly he moves his half-lidded eyes toward her, scratching his neck. "My albino body's better than dad's."

Whatever Black*Star had given him, it's really scary.

The guys who arrived with Soul had scattered and give the other ladies lap dances. Kilik thrusts the air in front of Jacqueline's face and his nipple clamps slapping against his skin loudly. Liz's getting a very intimate and touchy make out session from her husband. No restrains there.

"Waifu~" Before she knows it, hands grab her cheeks and a wet hot tongue slips through her lips. She squeaks with surprise as Soul drops down on her lap.

Her bachelorette party had started out decent, went to boring and bland, but with a dynamic entrance by the man of her dreams, her bachelorette party wasn't so bad.

Her muscles relax as she kisses him back passionately, feeling his bare warm butt cheeks on her exposed thighs. His alcohol-drenched breath burns her lips and gums like an inferno was injected into her mouth. His hands cup her face and holds her close to him. The handcuffs rattle as she pulls at them, wanting and longing to touch him.

He repels from her lips and he grins wide at her. "Bad bachelorette. Stay in your seat." He dives for more and she rejoices in the sensation of his lips and the cuffs digging into her wrists.

Maybe her bachelorette party wouldn't turn out as bad as she thought it would.


	13. Face of the beast

Hi everybody! This is something I wrote because I was inspired and I felt like procrastinating editing chapter two of "Joke's on you".

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**Face of the beast**

Once upon a time there was a kingdom. A kingdom far unlike its neighbours. A kingdom that arouse from the ashes and grew in strength until it outshined the sun with its glory. A kingdom that once was looked down upon its unusual traditions and now the king and queen ruled the country with an iron fist.

And the kingdom's name was Death City.

Death City and its neighbours blossomed in the time of peace, good health and good harvest. The kingdom was stable and not a threat from the outside world could be spotted.

But their peace would soon come crumbling.

The royal princess hummed delightfully on a lullaby her chamber maiden had sung to her before she fell asleep. Her feet dangled playfully and her pigtails bobbled. Eyebrows drawn together as her quill ran over the parchment.

The double doors shrieked open and the princess whipped around. The queen proudly strolled inside with a large vivid smile playing on her flush lips.

The queen's smile infected the princess and she jumped off her chair. "Mother!" She ran up to the queen and immediately started to tug on her hand. "I want to show you my drawing!"

"Maka darling, were you not supposed to study the fine arts of dining?" The queen's lecture was lacklustre as she let the princess lead her forward.

"I know mother. I suddenly felt inspired and I simply had to draw." The smile immediately melted off her face at the implication. Heart fluttered with happiness for her daughter, but worry for what was about to come.

The two royalties came to a stop in front of the princess's table. The princess excitedly pointed toward the parchment on the wooden surface and the quill thoughtlessly discarded beside it. The queen leaned closer and horror blossomed on her face, hand covering her mouth at the site of the beast on the parchment.

Death City was a kingdom of strange traditions. Every first born of royal blood was destined by Lord Death to find the perfect match to rule the kingdom with. For generations the perfect match had always been found among nobles or high middle-class, people of high intellect and hearts large enough to fit the whole kingdom.

For the first time, the princess was destined to marry a beast.

"I refuse to accept this!" The king of Death City slammed his fist down in the company of the kingdom's wisest men and women. "My daughter will not partner with _a beast!_" The drawing of the beast crinkled in his hand. Sharp teeth exposed and eyes longing to feed on the princess's soul.

"My king, my queen." A man with pale hair in a suit rose from his chair and bowed deep toward the royal couple. Even the emergency meeting hadn't stopped him from dressing up. "With no disrespect, but how could we possibly disobey destiny? She is five years old and has bonded with her partner in soul. She drew the face of her partner. How could we possibly stop fate?"

"I do not care how!" The king slammed his fist once again on the oak table, the members of the parliament flinched and the queen sobbed with despair. "This has to be stopped at all costs!"

"My king." A woman with golden locks rose beside the man, lowering her head with respect toward the royalty. "Should we not trust destiny to make the right choice of mate for the royal princess? Fate has not failed us yet, maybe it will not fail us now."

"It is a beast." The queen whimpered, holding a handkerchief to her mouth. "It may look human, but it has teeth like a wolf and hungry eyes like a starved one. A monster like that cannot possibly be fit to be my daughter's future mate."

The pale haired man pushed his glasses up further on his nose and nodded understandingly. "I suggest we build a wall around the kingdom."

"A wall?" The woman beside him echoed.

"Yes. A wall. It will control the entering and exiting of citizens and travellers and it will keep this beast away from Death City."

"A wall…" The king rubbed his chin, wondering. "Build it."

The very next day, the workers of Death City started building the wall. As the wall rose higher and higher toward the sky, the young princess Maka grew older and older. The pictures of the beast grew in numbers and in detail. The simple stick figure turned into meaty limbs and skinny cheeks and jaw. Eyes half-lidded as if focusing on its next prey. As the princess unknowingly was more and more intrigued by the beast, the royal couple grew more and more worried for their daughter.

The guards guarding the gate to the kingdom were well aware of the danger that would approach the kingdom. Night and day they guarded the gate to keep the beast away from the princess. The princess completely left in the dark about the bond between the beast she drew and the upcoming fate.

As she grew older, the royal couple began to fear the beast's soon arrival, and her freedom was taken away. The princess only allowed to stroll around the castle's garden supervised once a week.

The walls weren't enough to keep her away from her destiny.

She breathed heavily and fast as she pumped her arms. Her servant's shoes she'd borrowed slapped on the grass. "Princess!" She glanced behind her, seeing silhouettes of horses and guards on their backs with lanterns lighting up the dark night like stars. Quickly she dived into the forest, twigs breaking under her shoes and branches slapping her face.

She couldn't get caught. Not now when she was finally outside of the kingdom's walls and seeing the outside. Not after being locked away in the royal castle for years. The outside was calling for her. She _needed_ to get out.

Her hands covered her face as she ran blindly in the dark forest, hearing hooves galloping. The lanterns were out of sight from the trees and leaves.

She was safe.

The princess came to a stop, resting her palms on her knees and breathed deeply. Relief washed over her and a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Although the guards would look day and night for her and turn every stone in order to find her, she knew her freedom was limited. It was only a matter of time before they found her.

Her back straightened and she continued to move further into the forest, feeling her way forward with her hands. Slowly she moved leaves out of the way and carefully stepped onward. If she'd known she would be wandering in a dark forest, she would've taken the time to grab a lantern. Never before had she experienced such darkness. The royal gardens were always brightly lit and so were the corridors. She could barely see her hand in front of her.

She shrieked with surprise when her foot met air. She fell, crashed on dirt and tumbled down a slope fast. Her world spun around in circles. Her scream overpowered the sound of twigs breaking. Bright orange bounced in and out and around her vision. Finally she collided with warm dirt. The wind was knocked out of her and she gasped for air. A bone fire flickered only three yards in front of her, spinning around in her vision.

A groan sounded from below her and instantly she looked down. Dark eyes of a man stared at her. "Shit lady."

"Oh dear!" Even though she was dizzy beyond belief, she scrambled off him. "I am very sorry, Sir!"

The unknown man rubbed his chest as he slowly sat up. The fire lit up his features. His eyes weren't black, they were a deep red. A colour she hadn't seen anywhere but in the crimson roses in the royal garden. His hair shone a bright white as if the moon had blessed it with its glory. He grimaced in pain, exposing sharp teeth like a wolf's.

Her mouth fell open and without a shred of manner her mother had taught her she stared blatantly at him. "You are the man from my drawings."

He cracked an eye open and cocked his eyebrow at her. "Huh?"

"You look exactly like the character I have been drawing for years!"

"Miss, I think you might have hit your head―"

"Princess!" Her head whipped toward the sound. Oh no. They must've heard her when she fell.

"You are the princess?" His eyebrows disappeared under his bangs as he stared baffled at her.

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she stared into his deep ruby eyes. Eyes more beautiful than she could've ever witness. Her heart tumbled in her chest, tugging toward his direction. She'd been drawing him for a long time. She was intrigued by him. She didn't want to separate herself from him. She _needed_ to be with him.

"Yes…" She whispered to the sound of hooves breaking twigs and the light from countless of lanterns through the leaves and trunks.

The king rode to the bonfire. To his relief saw his daughter in dirty servant's clothing, but no visible wounds. Horror made his blood freeze in his veins when his eyes suddenly stopped at a white haired beast with eyes the colour of blood and sharp teeth that could tear off flesh from the bone.

He looked at his daughter's mate.


	14. Face of the beast Part 2

The moonlight shone into the room as Soul fiddled with his traveller's mantle nervously, gazing at the large pompous bed the princess had told him was their finest guest bedroom, which kings and queens had used when visiting Death City. The room was larger than the largest market he'd visited in a couple of kingdoms away, with curtains made of the finest silk and desks and coffee tables of deep and rich mahogany.

He wondered how the royal chamber was like.

His fingertips ran over the cool smooth fabric, eyes locked at the plethora of pillows made from every fabric to the guest's comfort. Shit. He would've been cool with sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

The door creaked open and King Spirit entered without any sort of permission. He didn't need any. His royal persona brightened the room with superiority and Soul quickly bowed respectfully at the King. The King's eyes sharpened at him and Soul shrunk in his clothes at the threatening gaze.

"I am going to make it clear," he stared Soul down with his superiority. "You are not to seduce my daughter into your evil claws."

He cocked his eyebrow. "Why the hell would I?"

"I know you are after her."

"Look, I don't know who the hell you think I am, but I just met her and there's nothing heart-throbbing about a girl with fat ankles crashing into me."

"Why you―" His eyes darkened and fists tightened with intentions of starting a brawl in the middle of the night, to then brightened with resolution and he scoffed toward him. He cleared his throat. "I'm here to make a proposal."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. If you stay away from my daughter, be rude to her if you must, and leave her without promising her to return, I will reward your weight in gold."

Soul's eyes widened with shock and his mouth fell wide open, staring at the King with surprise. "Seriously?"

The King nodded. "Yes. I want you to make sure she hates you and wishes to never see you again."

Suspicion seeded as he peered at the King and he maintained a calm facade for the first time since he entered the room. Something was up. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the lack of facial expression from the King and the request… it had his skin crawling with uneasiness. Something within him whispered to reject, to madly refuse the King's offer and continue his life, but gaining his weight in gold would solve his financial struggles and he could continue his travel around the world without a worry. He didn't even know the Princess. The Princess meant nothing to him. It would be a fool's decision to reject the offer of a fortune for the sake of some Princess's feelings.

Soul eventually nodded. "Alright. I'll play along."

A large satisfied smile grew on the King's face. "Excellent."

The first couple of days were easy to avoid the curious Princess. Every question she asked, he either ignored or answered with a nod or a shake of his head. From the corner of his eye, he could catch the smile playing on the King's lips. As the days went on, the Princess grew more persistent and short-tempered with him.

His back rested against the hard surface of the tree and leaves tickled his cheeks, branches pulling at his wrists as he let the brush run over his paper. The black ink curled and curved, growing for every line he drew as he tried to accurately capture the beauty of the white flower on the bush he'd decided to hide in this time.

His brush roughly splattered ink on his paper when footsteps and his name rang in the garden. He flinched at the Princess's voice calling for him. Crap. Couldn't the girl take the hint? Even though he ignored her, offended her and avoided her, she still persisted on finding him.

The leaves of the bush rattled and pushed aside, the Princess's angry flushed cheeks came into view and eyes narrowed as if sharpening knives between her eyelids.

Even though how well he thought he hid, she would always found him.

"Geez, woman, how the hell do you keep on finding me?"

She scowled at him and forced out. "Women's intuition."

He blew a raspberry and turned the other way. "Yeah, you found me, now leave me be."

"No listen to me, you punk!" She vigorously fisted his collar and successfully attracted his attention. Eyes shocked beyond belief at the fragile-looking Princess's usual innocent appearance that was replaced by courage and anger. "I didn't invite you here to be a prissy little brat and hide away. I don't know what goes on inside that tiny little brain of yours but I can see you're not a rude person." He choked on his spit. "Now stop being a punk or I'll slap some sense into you."

He gulped down his nerves as his body heated up to an unbearable degree. The sweet smiles she ordinary wore and the cute bouncing pigtails had him fooled that never could such a sweet-looking girl have such a side. He bit down his lower lip as his hand tightened like an anaconda around his brush.

It was attractive.

"Um… ah," he stuttered. "… o-okay."

"Okay what?"

"Fine! I-I won't hide." Damn. He'd no clue he'd a sore spot for terrifying and strong women up until now.

A smile broke like the crack of dawn, branches slapped back into place and she straightened her back as she offered him her welcoming hand. The corner of his lips twitched as he put away his brush in his other hand and accepted her hand. She heaved him up and her blazing emerald eyes found the brush and the parchment in his hand. "Do you draw?"

He nodded stiffly, noticing the warmth her hand radiated unlike his cold and beaten fingers. "I do. I picked it up on my travel around the world."

"May I see some of your drawings?"

A smirk blossomed and she seemed to have forgotten their still entangled hands. "Only if you show me some of yours." Red appeared in the background right passed Maka's head and it was the King, silently watching them. Quickly Soul retrieved his hand and ran it through his hair nervously.

He was in trouble.

The Princess face heated with colour and nodded toward him. "It is a deal."

He knew the King wasn't pleased with him. Multiple times the King lured in the background and glared disapprovingly at them as Maka would make any excuse to touch him. Everything from placing her hand above his as he painted a particular difficult line or a comforting brush on his shoulder. Not that he was complaining. It was surprisingly… pleasant. Until the King glared at him and made him jump across the room to get away from her.

…

The King rested his elbows on the railing of his balcony as he watchfully gazed at the Beast stuttering as his darling daughter kicked off her shoes, trying to convince her to let him climb up the tree to bring down the mysterious flying device they'd received from a successful inventor. He scuffed. As if the Beast had feelings.

His plan had failed.

The Beast had betrayed his trust and decided to seduce his daughter to then kidnap her. He knew letting the Beast inside of his castle was a bad idea. At least now he could keep an eye on it. Now he could efficiently come up with a plan to tackle this matter.

Beast's cheeks heated as the Princess stepped onto his clasped hands and heaved her up in the tree. The King's stomach twisted with disgust at the laughter between Beast and Princess Maka. How the Beast could be his darling daughter's soul mate was beyond his understanding.

"Are you spying on them again?"

The King didn't need to check who it was. The queen came to a halt beside him as Princess Maka freed the flying device from the tree and threw it, soaring away from them.

"This charade needs to come to an end. Out of all the people she could choose, she chose a beast."

"I do not know." Princess Maka climbed down before Beast and she had a screaming match. Eventually Beast held his arms out in panic as she slowly leaned backward from the branch. His fists tightened and Beast caught her fell to the ground, breaking out laughing in the process. "I have never before seen her so… peaceful."

He snorted loudly. "Peaceful? The Beast is grooming her! As soon as it has gained our trust it will kidnap her and feast on her flesh under the full moon!"

"I believe you have heard too many ghost stories."

"The appearance never fools anyone."

"Really? You do know you still look like the bachelor you were when I had not yet bonded with you."

His face twisted with distaste at his past. "That was low, sweetheart."

"Just as low as you are to Sir Evans."

His eyes directed back toward Beast and Princess Maka still wrapped up with each other on the ground. Disgusting.

He needed to put a stop to this.

He knocked at the Princess's door and immediately it was ripped open, revealing a beaming Maka. "You know you do not have to knock."

He licked his suddenly dry lips and snorted shortly after. "Nah, wouldn't want to accidentally witness your fat ankles."

Her punch was lacklustre and she tried to shield her smile with her hair, but his watchful eyes always caught onto her smiles. "Watch it. You might earn a book to your cranium."

The plethora of portraits of him were scattered around her room, covering the walls with his face from every angle, she even hung a portrait of him on the ceiling above her bed so she could wake up to his face. At first it was… odd. Every portrait of him looked exactly like him. How she'd managed to draw identical portraits of him before she met him was a mystery to him.

"I asked the chefs to bring a platter of fruit we could draw."

"Alright." The door shrieked as she closed it behind him.

"Please make yourself comfortable."

He swallowed loudly as he followed the Princess inside of her humongous room that was larger than the bed and breakfasts he'd stayed at occasionally. Rooms filled with luxurious golden silk curtains, golden frames and the most massive golden bed with pillows with golden flowers that had to be embroidered with melted coins. Everything in her room was golden success fit for the crown princess.

Stiffly he wandered to one of the many couches and took a seat. A cute giggle came from her mouth as her silk white glove covered her luscious lips. "I'll go and get the materials."

"Do you want any help?" He called after her moving form.

"No thank you."

His clammy hands gripped his wooden box with his painting tools and a piece of parchment. The Princess returned shortly after with her own high quality equipment and dumped it on the coffee table. A knock on the door and the Princess invited the person in. A young female in a maiden uniform entered with a platter full of pompous fruits glistering in the sun light leaking through the balcony window.

"I bring you your order, Princess." The maiden bowed deeply and with trembling knees, she made her way toward the table. Her eyes stayed away from him and she nervously chewed on her lower lip. She lowered the platter and he noticed her hands quivering to the point the fruits trembled.

His eyes evaded the clearly terrified maiden. It reminded him of people with high pitchforks and torches chasing him out of their village and priests with garlic necklace decorating their neck as they sprinkled holy water on him and tried to rebuke the demon sleeping within him.

He was a monster.

The Princess had almost made him forget.

Almost.

His head whipped to the side and the Princess's warm hand rested on his shoulder, a warm smile on her face as the door slammed loudly from the fleeing maiden. His heart delightfully stumbled on its own beat as her thumb caressed his shoulder.

Almost.

…

Soul laid awake staring up at the plethora of angles swirling through the sky as naked as they entered the world. He couldn't stop thinking about the Princess's radiant face and blazing emerald eyes. Her kindness was heart-warming and her touches made him think that perhaps, he wasn't the worst thing in the world. The civilians that had hollered monster and called for the guards when Maka showed him around the kingdom, made him remember he was nothing than his looks; a disgusting beast. As much as he could pretend he was normal with the Princess, the reality was he was a disgusting animal.

He didn't deserve the Princess's kindness.

Tomorrow would his invitation to stay at the castle expire and he would continue his adventures travelling the world.

He would leave the Princess behind.

His nails dug into his chest above his aching heart. His stay at the castle had gone from the lowest of valleys to the highest mountain top. The Princess approached him like he'd never experienced by someone outside of his family. Her eyes never evaded his. She never flinched when he moved. Her smile only widened when he smiled wide, exposing his teeth. She made him feel like he wasn't cursed with the appearance of a monster.

But he didn't deserve her.

She was too kind, too brave, too strong, too much! He'd never met someone he could completely relax and be utterly at peace around. She was like the friend he'd never had. He was happy he didn't ignore her.

His eyes squeezed shut as if he could deny the offer's existence. He'd gone back on his word. The King had disapprovingly glared at him multiple times. He knew he was in trouble. Whatever the King had in store, he was sure it wasn't going to be good.

He sat up in his bed when a knock on his door echoed in his room. "Come in." The door creaked open and the candle in the Princess's hand brightened her face. Her night gown caressed the floor as she soared inside like a bird, closing the door behind her. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep, Princess?"

"I could ask you the same." She took a seat on the edge of the bed right beside him, placing the candle on his night stand.

"Why are you here?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Women's intuition."

It was her excuse for everything. It was as if, every time he felt down, she always appeared out of thin air or silently comforted him with either a hand on his shoulder or his back. She was always there. For some reason.

"Women's intuition is weird."

"What happened to you?" His eyes fluttered with confusion before he knew what she was looking at. Her eyes were fixated at his bare chest where pale scars littered his torso and biceps.

"Um," his hands tightened on his blanket. "Just scars."

Her hands slapped on his chest. "These are not 'just scars'." Her eyes critically examined the scars littering his chest and fingers ran over the pale bumps on his skin. Her face twisted with disgust as her fingers ran over a large cut on his bicep.

Of course she would be disgusted with him. His appearance always scared people away. It was only a matter of time before she would be hightailing away from him. He knew this all was too good to be tr―

"These were not an accident, were they?" Her voice dropped. His mouth fell open with shock as her thumb sooth the scar as if she could erase its presence. "Someone did this to you."

His heart flipped in his chest and his hand placed above her much smaller one. "Yeah. From scared citizens."

"That doesn't justify their behaviour." Anger fuelled her voice. "I swear if anyone dares or has the slightest of intention of harming you, I will protect you."

He wouldn't dare mess with the Princess. When she got angry, he wanted to be miles away from her. Never again did he want to be the target of her rage. Never.

But being miles away from her left a sour taste in his mouth.

"I don't blame them. I'm a monster."

Her nails painfully dug into his flesh. "You are definitely not."

"I am. I―"

Her hands slapped over his mouth. "Don't." Her eyes sparkling with fire and determination. "You are not a monster." She spoke calmly. "A monster destroys. A monster hurts people. A monster lacks emotions. You are nothing like a monster." Her eyes fell down to his wounded chest. "Your scars prove it."

He removed her hands from his mouth, tilting her head to meet his eyes. "I…" his voice husky. She stared into his eyes and the warm light from the candle made her skin look unbearably soft. "So if a serial killer had scars he wouldn't be a monster."

He deserved the punch to his chest.

"There is actually a place I want to show you." She broke the silence after minutes of sitting apart from each other. She looked over at him, her loose hair perfectly framing her face.

He got dressed in his shirt as the sleeping pants he'd been given hung loosely on his bony hips. He offered his travel mantle which she humbly accepted. The Princess knew her way around the castle. When the guards turned their backs to them, she tugged at his hand and they silently tiptoed around the castles corridors until the humid fresh air hit their faces.

"It's this way." Their backs stayed hunched as they quickly hurried passed bushes and trees toward the edge of the garden not to be spotted by the too many guards securing the castle. "I always come here when I cannot sleep." They rounded a tree and the silhouette of a hill came into his view. The Princess led him up the hill and the bright full moon shone down upon them. She shrieked loudly as she fell forward, instinctively he dived after her and they tumbled down the hill. They came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, limbs entwined and the Princess laid diagonally on his chest. They found themselves laughing at the ridiculous situation they found themselves in.

His laughter abruptly ended when floating lights caught his attention. Countless of tiny warm yellow lights floated peacefully around them as if the stars had descended from the heavens and blessed them with their presence.

"Those are fireflies." The Princess spoke as if she'd read his mind. "They are very rare around these areas, but they seem to enjoy staying near the trees at the edge of the royal garden."

"Fireflies." He tasted the word in his mouth.

"Yes. They are certainly very intriguing and entertaining to watch." She made no attempt at removing herself from him to, oddly, his liking. Even though his arm was uncomfortably stretched over his chest and then crushed under the Princess's back and he didn't know his leg could twist in such an angle, he found himself enjoying the closeness. His eyes darted down her not so hidden legs and her exposed ankles. He knew if anyone caught them now, he would be in trouble for associating so intimately with the Princess.

"Soul, may I ask you a favour?" She broke the silence.

"Of course, Princess."

"Please, call me Maka."

"Princess, I couldn't―"

"It would be an honour." He found her eyes sparkling brighter than the fireflies surrounding them and were far more fair and interesting.

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to capture the right words to speak. "If you wish…" a grin spread on his face. "Your royal highness."

He totally deserved the slap to his thigh. "I'm being serious."

"And so am I. Do you know what kind of punishment I would receive if anyone caught me addressing you by your first name?"

"And I would cover your back the way you have covered mine."

He found himself chuckling heartily. "Okay… Maka."

A smile spread on her face and she cleared her throat. "There was actually something I wanted to tell you. Now when you're leaving at the break of dawn."

Worry settled in his gut at the sudden nervousness she cladded her face with. She untangled their limbs and sat beside him with her legs drawn up toward her chest. "I know my parents are expecting me to find a husband to marry soon." She fiddled with her hands as her eyes evade his. "And I know I have found the person I wish to spend the rest of my life with."

His hand swung to his chest and his nails dug into his flesh right above the excruciating pain exploding in his chest. Never before had he experienced such an agonizing hurt before in his life, and he'd witnessed a lot. The idea of Maka marrying someone made him feel like she cut off his limbs one by one. He knew he was leaving and couldn't enjoy her company but… not another man. No.

"It is you, Soul."

Ice spread from his spine throughout his body. Him?

"I have always felt connected to you. Like I understood you better than I understood my own parents."

He was a monster. A beast. No one could ever love him. Let alone Maka.

"It is silly. I have known them my whole life and yet I feel like I have known you since I was born instead of a couple of weeks."

He didn't deserve anyone. He didn't deserve Maka. He couldn't punish her by cuffing her to his side. He couldn't hurt her so.

"Please say something."

He couldn't.

"Soul?" Her hand placed on his shoulder, thumb rubbing the exposed flesh. "Are you okay?"

He couldn't accept her love.

"I-I'm sorry." He abruptly stood up. "I-I can't accept your hand." He turned on his heel and quickly hurried away from her to her calling his name. She didn't follow him. He snuck back into his room, clenching his chest at the hurt where it only grew. The thought of marrying Maka was too good to be true. He enjoyed her company more than anyone else, but he wasn't like his brother. He couldn't charm her panties off like his brother could and he was disgusting and not handsome as Wes. Everybody loved Wes while everybody hated him.

He couldn't stay. He packed up his things and strolled down the corridors, this time not caring the looks and scowls from the guards. He left the castle to continue where he'd left off, before Maka had suddenly fallen on him. Not caring about the reward he'd been promised to break Maka's heart.

…

"I knew this would happen." The King spoke with superiority with his hands clasped behind his back. "This was inevitable. It was a beast and beasts do what they do best, hurt innocent people."

"Oh hush." The queen crossed her arms over her chest. "Do not speak so foul about our daughter's soul mate."

"It's gone and now she can bond with a new and honourable man." He strolled back and forth in the King and Queen's master bedroom. "She will forget about it in a few days."

The Queen's mouth fell open as she backpedalled with disgust at her husband's statement. "I cannot believe you said that."

From outside of the room, Maka went down the corridor to speak to her parents when she caught the yelling voice of her mother within their room. She wiped away her tears as she pressed her ear to the door.

"I bonded with you when all you were was a disgusting disloyal cheating immature man. Even though I had bonded with you you still went out with girls." She furiously yelled at her husband who took off his large crown to run his hand through his hair. "Believe me, if I could, I would've broken the bond with you."

"At least I am a man―"

"And he's more of a man than you have ever been!"

"It has fooled you, darling. It has sunk his manipulating claws into your mind. Next it's going to come for you."

"He's not a beast!" Maka flinched at the sheer volume from her mother. "Can you not care for a second that our daughter refuses to eat and come out of her room because _her soul mate_ has left?" Her eyes fluttered with confusion. Soul mate?

"This is for her best. When she realizes it isn't going to come back she can finally move on and find a more suitable soul mate."

"You cannot break a bond between soul mates."

A large sinister grin spread on the King's face. "She will be forced to find someone new when the Beast… disappears."

Maka stiffened on the other side of the door. She was well aware of her father's disproval of Soul. She knew he would rather have Soul thousands of miles away from her. But was he implying what she thought he was…?

"You would not dare."

"Oh yes I do. Once the Beast is slaughtered, she can find a new soul mate."

Her fists tightened when fear for Soul paralyzed her body, quickly replaced by blinding hot red rage. She slammed the door open, the King and Queen jumping at the sheer volume. "If you do…" Her voice dipped threateningly as she stormed toward her parents. "I will cut off your head and serve it to the pigs!"

Her father whimpered and immediately shrunk at the murderous presence of his daughter. "B-b-but s-s-sweeth―"

"No!" She came to a stop in front of him and roughly shoved her index finger in his chest. "If you even as much as _think_ about hurting him, I will reject the crown." She shoved her finger at his chest repeatedly for every sentence. "Then I will leave to be with Soul and if you as much as _breathe_ his name, I will forever forget you. You will not have every existed in my life."

He pouted and bit his lower lip. Defeated by his own daughter.

She directed her lethal gaze toward her mother. "And you will tell me everything about this 'soul mate' you seem to be awfully familiar with."

A smile played on her mother's lips as she nodded proudly at her daughter. "Of course."

…

She left. Her mother had insisted on bringing one guard to accompany on her quest to find Soul. After her mother had explained her weird obsession drawing Soul and her odd and sudden connection to him, it all made sense. They were destined to be together. They were always meant to be together. He rejected the wealth her father had promised him.

But Soul had left her.

It put doubt in her mind. Could a soul mate bond only be one-sided? If he loved her, then he would've stayed with her, right? He wouldn't have left.

She needed answers.

Even though he was gone, what she'd thought was her intuition, was her bond with Soul. It was much vaguer now when he was far away, but she could still feel it and trace his steps. She and her guard rode day and night until on the fourth day at noon they came to a stop in front of a shady bed and breakfast. With balled hands and anger making her blood boil, she ordered her guard to take the day off and stormed inside, up the stairs and banged her fist on the door.

"I know you are in there!" She hollered and slammed her fists on the old wooden door.

Only a second later the door knob clicked and the door swung open. Instantly the bond shivered pleasantly when her eyes laid on him. Dark bags decorated his eyes and messy hair going in every direction. Her hands tightened to the point of her nails painfully digging into her palms.

"What are you doing here?"

"What I'm doing here?" She pushed him and he stumbled backwards. "You left!" She pushed him again. He stumbled and fell backward on his bed, the hay under the sheet crinkled loudly. "You didn't say g―" She cut herself off. Her eyes settled a piece of coal beside a parchment with a coal drawing of her. Her pigtails went down her shoulders and she gazed over her shoulder, whatever she stared at, it made her happy since her eyes sparkled and smile wide, showing off her teeth. The lines were shaky and the shadows were a little bit flawed, but it was a beautiful drawing he'd put down a lot of his time on.

He'd taken the time to draw her. He wasn't rich and the little parchment he had he'd used one to draw her. She grasped the parchment and caressed her thumb over her shoulder.

"How did you find me…?" He asked. "Oh wait, let me guess, women's intuition?"

Her anger melted off her and she looked him in his red eyes. "No." She shook her head. "I need to talk to you about that." The hay beside him crinkled when she took a seat beside him. "I know this sounds weird but I want you to have an open mind and consider it."

She explained everything. How it never had been her intuition, but her bond to him as his soul mate. She explained how for generations the royal family had soul mates, their destined partner for life, and the royal child would end up drawing the face of the soul mate.

"So you're saying… I'm your soul mate…?" He whispered, bangs covering his eyes and his hair even more unruly.

She nodded and placed her hand on his clasped hands resting in between his legs. "You are. I can feel the bond we share."

He slowly shook his head. "This can't be. I don't feel it. I can't be your soul mate." His voice grew rushed. "You can't be mine. You must be mistak―"

"I'm not." She cupped his cheeks and steered his face to her, forcing him to look into her eyes. His eyes were distraught as if the news were too much. "I know what I'm feeling and I truly sincerely love you."

"You don't love me."

"I do."

"You don't even know me."

"The little I know is good and I trust our bond as soul mates."

"I don't want a soul mate."

She retrieved her hands as if he'd burned her, standing upright and backed away as if he stabbed her right in her heart. Pain coursed through her veins and the bond shrieked with agony and if it was a person it would be scratching its face wildly due to the pain. Her knees bumped into the nightstand and she pressed her palms against the wall.

His eyes widened and he shot up. "Shit. I didn't mean―"

"What?" She snarled. "You don't want me. That's what you mean."

"No. No, that's not at all what I meant." He desperately ran his hand through his hair. "I love you too."

Her heart skipped a beat. "You love me?"

"Yes― no! What I was supposed to say is I've a brother."

"What?"

"He looks similar to me. I mean― he doesn't look weird. He's the same features― he's better. You could've mistaken me for your true soul mate."

"Soul."

"He's the better brother― better friend― he would be a better soul mate to you―"

"Soul!" He flinched at the power in her voice. "Do not take my feelings to lightly." He shifted his eyes to the floor as his shoulders shamefully pulled up to his ears. "_You_ are my soul mate. _You_ are the one I love. I do _not_ want your brother or anybody else."

"I'm not the one for you."

"Do you like someone else?"

"Never! There is no one else than you."

Her hands balled and her eyes stung with tears. "I need to know Soul. No more mixed signals." She bravely took a step toward Soul. "Do you want to be with me?"

He bit his lower lip and looked away from her. Hands tightened as if an internal battle was being fought within him. Silence hung between them as he stared dead into the wall.

"Soul…?" She reached out toward him and he chided away from her. She bit her lower lip and lowered her outstretched hand. She ripped her gaze away from him and slowly nodded as her being was breaking. "I understand…" She breathed out.

"It's not like that." Instantly he moved in her way when she was about to walk pass him.

"Then what is it?!" She sneered at him. "One moment you love me and the next you hate me."

"I don't hate you. I've never hated you." He sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're wearing my mantle." His thumb ran over the green worn material. "I guess I forgot I let you borrow it that night."

"Don't try to change the subject."

"I'm not trying to."

"Can you get to the point then?"

He chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "Geez, you're so impatient." He spoke as if he wasn't nervous, but his hand was quivering anxiously as his eyes travelled around the small room. "You don't deserve someone like me. I'm not a prince. I'm not rich. I'm a poor traveller who tries my hand at drawing. I'm a monster. You deserve someone far better than me."

"Are you kidding me?" She grabbed a hold of his shirt and yanked him closer to her. He spluttered with surprise. "I think I'm the one who should be saying that."

"B-but you're a princess!"

She rolled her eyes and flattened her hands on his chest. "Simply because of my title doesn't mean I'm entitled to any men. Especially you." Her hand settled above his rapidly beating heart. A smile spread on her face. "You're kind and you're so loyal. I know my father offered you a fortune to stay away from me. You broke my heart and you left, but you never returned to claim your offer."

"Your happiness if worth more than a fortune."

"Then the question resurfaces, do you want to be with me."

He bit his lower lip and his eyes fluttered shut. Liquid shimmied through his eyelids and trickled down his cheeks as a smile grew on his face. A sincere smile she only witnessed in drawings where the artists capture the truest and happiest of smiles. After a beat of silence he nodded. "I love you too. But I do think you should reconsider your choice of p―"

"I already have and nope. I have decided I want my soul mate as my life partner."

"You didn't even consider it, did you?"

"Nope."

He chuckled and placed his hands above hers, running his thumbs over the back of her hand. "You're unbelievable."

"No. Believable. You are my soul mate. And I would love you none the less even if I were not bonded with you."

A smile spread on his face as he leaned down to rest his forehead on hers." Fickle woman. You don't know a good man from a monster."

"I don't need to. The man I've chosen is neither."

"Low blow."

She giggled as her hands escaped his, climbing up his chest and snaking around his neck. "No. He's the perfect man. With his flaws and all."

"Hmm, princess, you do know how to make a man's knees buckle."

"Is it enough to maybe be rewarded with a kiss?"

He chuckled softly and cupped her cheeks. "Absolutely." She rose on her tiptoes and their lips locked. Her eyes widened when the bond harpooned into his chest and rooted to his core. A tide wave washed over her with memories, thoughts, and his uncensored monologue coursed through her mind. Memories of his family's love for his abnormal appearance washed over her and the verbal arguments and isolation their family had to go through because of his appearance. Silently he suffered because of his family's sacrifice for their son, until he decided to leave them. The loop of self-hatred kept going on and on and on and on inside of his head. The thoughts he wasn't ever going to be enough because he was a beast. He wasn't going to get a job because he was a monster. He wouldn't _ever_ deserve a woman as her because he was a beast.

_"You're more than enough."_ She whispered into his mind as she pulled him closer to her. _"You're more than I could've ever asked for."_

She could feel his heart swell with happiness as if it was her own. His thoughts of gratitude for finding someone that was capable of loving someone like him and joy for finally being happy with someone bounced around in her mind as if she was the creator behind them. His emotions bounced to her, to heighten and bounce back to repeat the process. The emotion grew and grew and grew in strength and their lips sloppily slid over each other's.

They both tumbled down on the bed, hands fisting the fabric of their clothes with clear and mutual thoughts of their desires on their minds.

Back in Death City the king paced back and forth in his master bedroom with the queen already snuggled in bed with a book in her hands. "I pledge when it gets back, I will cut off its penis. I will burn it and the priest will rebuke the sins within it."

The queen sighed heavily and closed her book. "For crying out loud, come to bed. You know it is normal for bonded soul mates to bodily engage."

"I know! B-but for my precious darling beloved daughter to engage with a beast, it's revolting!"

"I think it is good for her. She has found a good man who supports her and loves her from the bottom of his heart. And I know our grandchildren will be handsome."

"Handsome?!" The king spun around on his feet toward his wife. "We will be lucky if they do not have a tail!"

The queen rolled her eyes and placed the book on the night stand. "Oh hush. See pass his unique appearance and see the wonderful man he is. I truly think they are the most perfect couple and the strongest soul mate pair this kingdom will ever see."

The king almost choked on his saliva and spluttered incoherently as she turned the lights off.


	15. Terrifying gladiators wear pigtails

This is inspired from my favourite TV show called "The Gladiators". I don't know if it only exists in Sweden but it's really good.

* * *

**Terrifying gladiators wear pigtails**

His fingers flexed as he stared at the TV screen backstage. He quickly found his best friend Black*Star in the audience with his abnormal spikey blue hair and bare chest with his name written on it in blue body paint. Next to him sat Wes with his suit jacket gone and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. For now was the pink glittery sign he'd made resting against his knees. The signs that caught his attention were the signs the children held, cheering on the gladiator woman, Grigori: the students' protector.

When he was at home, seated in his couch and a bowl of popcorn resting on his lap, he often cheered on for that particular gladiator. She was shorter and lighter than the rest of the female gladiators, but she was one of the toughest. With her brains and strategies, she knocked down all the challengers. His knees weakened at the sight of her eight pack and her muscular mile long legs and that sinful short skirt! She was lucky she was wearing booty pants underneath it.

The audience cheered for Grigori as she stood on the floating platform in the air with the challenger. The referee counted down and blew the whistle. The challenger threw herself at Girgori and she skilfully grabbed her and swung her backwards and launched her off the platform. The challenger went soaring through the sky and landed on the mattress under the platform. The audience screams with joy and Grigori's theme song blasted through the speakers. Soul's shoulders relaxed and as Grigori struck her signature pose.

Okay, he was ten points behind his rival. If he wanted to move on to the next round, he needed to beat his opponent and reduce the difference in points to the final stage when he would face his opponent and race toward the finish line.

He needed to win so maybe in the next round he could grow a pair and maybe ask for her number or buy her a coffee or something.

His throat ran dry as he nervously rubbed his palms together as he saw Girgori running backstage on the screen. Okay, he could do this. All he needed to do was ask for some advice on taking down the gladiator that would meet him. She was the Grigori, she had to know who it was and the person's weaknesses.

Grigori ran backstage with a wide grin plastered on her face. The other gladiators greeted her with high fives and hugs. The other flashy female gladiators protected her like they were her servants and they knew he wanted to approach her.

He inhaled courage and with determination, went over to Grigori. "Um." He gulped and the group of women instantly turned serious and stared at him with wonder. Grigori's green eyes were far too precious in this lightning, making his knees buckle.

"The water bottles are at the back." Grigori pointed toward the back.

"I know." He felt proud he didn't stutter. "Eh, can I talk to you for a second?"

She cocked her eyebrow but slowly nodded. "Okay. Follow me." She walked passed him and he quickly followed. He needed to throw holy water into his eyes for being far too intrigued by the short skirt and her sinful swaying of her hips. They reached a door and she opened it. He entered and noticed it was a far too small space with towels and different kinds of weights in the shelves.

"So." She closed the door behind them. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm far behind on the scoreboard."

She nodded. "I've noticed."

He quickly glanced down at her perfectly toned stomach and her muscular biceps. "Do you know who I'm going to meet?"

"I do."

"Do you know this person's weaknesses?"

"I do."

"Could you maybe give them to me?"

"Hmm," She pretended to think it over by resting her chin on her palm. "I tell you what, if you can beat the gladiator, I'll give you my phone number and I'll tell you all the gladiators' weaknesses."

His cheeks heated up and he embarrassedly looked away from her.

"I've noticed you checking me out." She smugly said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not very stealthy."

"I'm sorry."

She grabbed a hold of his chin and steered his eyes back on hers. "You will be if you don't beat the gladiator." She twisted the doorknob and winked at him. "Good luck."

His knees turned into spaghetti and he'd to support himself on the shelf. There was no option. He had to beat the gladiator.


	16. He's into you

**He's into you**

_He's just not that into you AU. Signs are misinterpreted once again and Maka's thrown back into the endless cycle of discovering he's just not that into you. Although this time it hurts like a bitch. _

…

Butterflies. It's butterflies. A smile stretched on her face as she skips up the steps to her apartment. This time it was right. It was finally right! After months of failed dates, she finally went on that one date that could lead to a date number two. She squealed and twirled on her heels.

This was it.

No more failed dates.

She ran up the lasts steps, throwing her coat, twirling and catching it, squealing with joy.

"Maka."

Her smile shattered and the euphotic sensation turned to a sensation of a ball cuffed to her ankle dragging her to the bottom of the sea. The one person she never_ in a million years_ wanted to see hurried up from his seat on the floor, brushing the dirt from his jeans like she always nagged him about.

"What are you doing here?" She snarled threateningly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Um," He took a step toward her and tried to close the thirty feet between them. "Look, I―" She gave him her bare palm and instantly he came to a stop. "I'm a jerk."

"No shit."

He nodded absentmindedly, shoving his hands down his pockets. "You weren't answering my calls."

"That's what people do when they're ignoring you."

His red eyes evaded hers and he stared down at his black combat boots for a moment before he faced her with new found courage. "I'm an idiot. A cynical idiot." His sharp tooth sunk into his lower lip. "And I realized you actually forgot your pen." He fished up a very expensive ball-pen that she would never even think of buying. A pen she recognized as the signature pen of his family's music company, the same model she'd admired over once she visited him at work for some dating advice.

She rolled her eyes and involuntarily she thought back to the moment they met. She making excuses to stalk another guy who didn't call back because she was just as pathetic as her father in the love department, and she started waving around her pen, saying it belonged to her date.

It was the night she was faced with the ugly truth.

"You know I would never buy such a pen."

He nervously started to beat the pen rapidly against his pants. "Well, since you helped me host the company party, I thought you deserved it."

Urgh. The company party. The one night she'd spent countless nights after watching horror movies and eating buckets of ice-cream, bawling her eyes out and smothering her cat with hugs. After getting her hopes up that Soul could possibly like her as much as she liked him, after hosting by his side and truly feeling like she stood like his partner, but in reality she was never even an option. She predatorily protected him from other women and when she kissed him, he rejected her in front of five-hundred people. Humiliated and hurt, she threw her champagne at his face and stormed out.

"I don't want it."

"I thought you would say that." His beat came to a stop and he tightened his grip on it to the point his knuckles turned white. "Maka I―"

She shook her head and backpedalled from Soul. "I just came back from a date with your friend Hiro." His face instantly fell and his bangs covered his eyes. "I'm going to be honest with you. I had a really great time tonight. He was nice, he followed all the rules, and I truly think this could lead to something more."

"But what about us?"

"What about us?"

His shoulders pulled up to his ears as he faced her. "I want to take you out on a date."

She shook her head. "No Soul. We're not the rule."

"The rules can suck it."

She rolled her eyes as her nails painfully dug into the thick fabric of her jacket, hugging it close to her chest. "The rules work. Thanks to your rules I've evaded having my feelings hurt by guys who're only interested in my vagina." Her throat swelled with familiar hurt she'd tried to move on from. "Your rules showed me I was crazy for thinking you were into me and I really should stick to the rules rather than jump to conclusions."

"I am. I've missed you so much these past couple of weeks." He dared taking a step toward her. "You were right. I'm cynical. I was running away from my feelings. I like you more than a friend and I fucked up. I know I did. These past weeks without you showed I really do care about you more than just as a friend. I can't stop thinking about you and I'm nervous. I'm hoping we could maybe start over?"

She sighed and her eyes fluttered closed. "You weren't interested when I kissed you. You always told me a guy would never change. That was the rule. Hiro's a really good guy as you said. He's kind, he leaves cute messages and―"

"I could do that too." Footsteps echoed in the corridor and she opened her eyes, catching Soul moving toward her slowly. "I can be like that."

"Soul." She groaned with frustration. "Here's the rule again, a guy won't change for you."

"But if a guy likes you, he will make sure you know it." He came to a stop in front of her.

"That rule doesn't apply anymore, don't you see?"

He came to a stop in front of her, his vibrant red eyes bravely stared into her eyes and she dug her nails into the fabric of her coat. "I really like you. You were totally right about me. I was too blind keeping all women away from me I didn't realize I liked someone. I didn't realize it when we kissed. Only these past weeks without that overanalysing brain of yours did I realize that I really like you. I want to take you out for dinner and see if we could become something more than just best friends."

Her tooth sunk into her bottom lip and she avoided his eyes. Her heart betrayed her and she hugged her jacket to her chest as if it could protect her from the bubbling sensation growing in her stomach.

"But Soul, I'm going out with Hiro. He follows the rules and he's drama free and―"

Her words came to a shrieking stop when he cupped her cheeks, unbearable red eyes staring into her soul with so much affection she'd never witnessed before. Slowly he leaned down, allowing her time to reject him.

But she didn't.

His lips brushed hers cautiously. Heart tumbling and twirling in her chest, blood running warm and fingertips tingling pleasantly. Her jacket slipped from her grip, hitting the floor and her hands climbed up his chest, around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Lips on lips moved and her nails dug into his jacket, enjoying the cinnamon taste of his rough lips.

She pulled away and he rested his forehead against hers, nose brushing. "You're my exception." He whispered. Lips feathered over hers, goose bumps appeared on her bare arms.

She swallowed trying to wet her dry throat. Her minds screamed to let him go, to run away and to block his number. The rules she'd been taught by the same person waved red flags and warnings signs in bright red with flashing lights, but her heart longed for him. Fingers tingled with the desire to bury themselves in his thick untameable hair and mouth kissing him eagerly.

Neither option was right.

"Really?"

"Yeah." His warm breath hit her lips. "If you weren't precious to me, I wouldn't have waited here for five hours for you to return."

She bit her lower lip and entwined her fingers in his hair. "Fine." She wet her lips. "One date."

A wide smirk infected his mouth and he pulled her face to his, quickly she placed her finger on his flushed red lips before he could kiss her again.

"One try." She pointed out.

His hands slid from her cheeks and settled on her biceps, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. "One try is all I need."


	17. Deathly Silence

Because who doesn't use different kind of medias to catharsis? This's just some angsty I spit out. Be aware, major character death.

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**Deathly silence**

It wasn't her own screams of pain that delivered the bone-tearing pain violently coursing through every cell of her body second after second after second after second. Her very bones broke and every inch of her soul tore, twisted and burned with pain.

It wasn't every step of her shoes that made her skin crawl as if tiny alien robots were eating her from the inside out.

It wasn't the barely audible last words that whipped every happy memory from her mind and enveloped her in darkness.

It wasn't the unbearable sight of watching the spark every living creature possessed slowly disappearing, leaving dead, cold eyes staring back at her that made her lose her mind.

It wasn't the hand that slowly relaxed and slipped from hers that made her lose hope of ever finding a shred of a happy moment.

The leaves under her boots loudly broke the unbearable silence surrounding her. The black dress hugged her figure as she came to a stop in front of the grey stone. Her hands tightened and trembled. Her tooth sunk into her flush lower lip, fighting the eternal pain she'd been cursed with to keep herself from unravelling. The moon grinned wide and the cool night air didn't have an effect on her bare arms. Her knees trembled and she squeezed her eyes shut.

It was the silence.

The lack of noise in her everyday life.

The lack of curses because he stubbed his toe again on the bed frame or purred a husky "good morning" into her ear.

The lack of smiles.

The lack of his obnoxious teasing she'd at the time wanted gone.

The lack of his touch and his unique warm.

The lack of _his_ presence in her life paralysed her with unconditionally and unbreakable pain. He was gone. And there was nothing she could do. She'd been left with a deathly silence. A burning reminder that she was _alone_.

Her tooth broke flesh and warm blood gushed out from the wound. Her knees broke and she fell to the ground and her uncensored scream of pain broke the silent night.

The silence would be the death of her.


	18. What's on the hook (on her Tinder adv

**What's on the hook (on her Tinder adventures)**

When she heard about the infamous one night stand app, it made her sick. Apps like Tinder were created with perverts like her papa in mind. There was never a thought in her mind to actually download the app.

It wasn't her who downloaded the app on her phone. One night she received a message from Liz telling her to check her library and that's when she found the app― and she was signed on it! Liz only snickered into the phone, saying she needed to relieve herself. Studying as hard as she did would wear anyone down, so of course Liz's solution was to find a horny college guy to share a bed with. She spluttered that she was going to uninstall the app as she blushed violently.

She didn't.

There was something about the app that drew her in. A curiosity in her grew and she glanced at her phone once in a while, knowing that with a few taps, there was something unexplored. Wasn't that was she always was aiming for in her studies? Letting her curiosity guide her and educate herself about the unknown.

She laid on her bed weeks later from the night Liz and her talked. She opened the app and immediately she was swarmed with profiles of guys. Maka cocked her eyebrow at a bathroom selfie where the guy exposed his well-trained chest. She rolled her eyes and immediately swiped left. She burst out laughing at the obnoxious pictures of guys trying too hard, showing off their chests and the stereotypical pictures in the driver's seat. She burst out laughing when she read some guy's profiles.

_Buy me chocolate and you've won my heart_

_If I write something we won't have anything to talk about ;) ;)_

_Height: 196cm_

Like she gave a fuck about a guy's height! The bios were absurd! She laughed till the point her stomach ached as she continued to swipe left. Forget relieving her stress with sex, the ridiculous bios were enough to make her loosen up!

Her laughter soon came to a shrieking halt when a guy with hair as pale as snow and eyes red like wine appeared. The picture revealed he was in a fast food restaurant and a hamburger rested in his hand. Her eyes were drawn to the abnormal razor sharp teeth at display in front of her. He didn't seem to be aware of the camera when the photographer shot the picture.

She found nothing laughable about his appearance or the stupid pose. She hated the heat blossoming on her cheeks and her rapid heartbeat. She wanted to swipe left. It was a laughable game to her after all. She wasn't looking for company. But she found herself swiping right.

She choked on her saliva and fumbled with her phone when the screen darkened and _it's a match!_ appeared on her screen. The corners of her lips twitched and she couldn't help but to smile. She opened the message system and she couldn't believe herself when she initiated a conversation with the mysterious catch on Tinder.


	19. The Wolf That Huffed And Puffed

**The wolf that huffed and puffed**

His shoes clicked on the wood floor as he went through the hallways littered with fliers on the boards. The long line that'd infested the corridors outside the business office of the new Fabletown's Deputy Major was finally gone and silent. Soul came to a stop right outside the office where, through the dark glass on the door, a distant yellow light was still lit.

He sighed as he shook his head. Sixty-three days after the trial of Asura and she was still as busy as the day after. Fables were left without the safety net of fear, threats and manipulation Asura had created and now Maka Albarn, the new Deputy Major of Fabletown was trying to restore and make it better for everybody. All on her own.

It was already late. Too late for her to be up and working when she'd to get up early to Fables queueing at the door before the office even opened. Or in other words, abruptly waking up to angry Fables banging on her door and a steaming cup of coffee from her assistant Jaqueline.

He bit his lower lip and placed his hand over his beating heart. Sixty-three days since he'd a proper conversation with her. Been _a_ _team_ with her. Now she's busy with formalities and paperwork and the Fables needs while he was working in the field. Making sure no more crimes would erupt. The few glances he'd gotten from her, he'd barely managed to say a word to her before she was off excusing herself.

Maybe. Just maybe… he could catch a moment with her now.

He fished up his pack of_ Huff n Puff_ cigarettes. Trapped one between his lips before he lit the end, taking a large drag. The smoke escaped from his lips before he knocked on the door. No answer. He twisted the door knob and it shrieked loudly. A sharp inhale and Maka sat straight up in her chair.

"I'll hear your out in a minute!" she spat out the words. Her eyes dawned on her when she realized morning had yet to come. "Soul?" she yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly with scribbles from the documents she'd been laying on printed on her cheek and dried drool running down the corner of her lip. "It's unusual to see you this early in the morning."

"It's not." He tapped his cigarette and some ashes fell down. "It's passed midnight. You should go home and get some rest."

She sighed with relief and sunk back in her chair. "Thank goodness it's not morning…" Her eyes fluttered open and her blazing green eyes stared at him, making his stomach twist with the familiar _more._ Feelings that he'd never felt before. Feelings that far succeeded friendship and far inappropriate to feel toward his superior. If only… if only Justin had done his job. Then maybe… perhaps he could've warmed up the ice queen to the idea of love again. He could… he could be good. He knew he was an asshole and he screwed up and didn't follow her orders occasionally… but he could be _better._ Better than "prince charming" she divorced centuries ago. She hadn't― and wouldn't admit it― but it changed her.

"You know you need to rest. Trying to work 24/7 won't amount to any good."

"I know Soul―" instantly she cleared her throat "_Mr Eater_. But I need to get these papers ready. Fables will que up outside my office and I need to get these papers signed and approved by then."

"One night of rest isn't going to kill you." Soul inhaled and breathed out smoke. Always putting the Fables before herself. That's why she was chosen to be the next Deputy Major. Only she was selfless enough to take the job after the shit Asura had created. He definitely didn't envy her.

"Perhaps. But it needs to be done and I don't want to disappoint them. This hard work is only temporary. As soon as I get all this in place and working, I can start getting more rest."

His heart ached for her. The dark bags decorating under her eyes and her messy usual hair bun. She looked like something the cat dragged in. Something that reeked of death― and that was much to say judging that her green apple shampoo she enjoyed using had disappeared a long time ago and now she sprayed an awful smelling perfume to cover up her unhygienic state. He missed her smell. The filthy smelling perfume covered up the whole room proving that she hadn't left her office. A lot of different scents were in the mix. The scent of… Joe the woodsman… Marie the witch… and plenty different scents.

Soul quickly inhaled deeply and the precious smoke filled his lungs and made him forget about the scents for a moment. Damn… it was moments like these he didn't like his nose. Maka's scent was imprinted and he knew that wherever she went, he could sniff her out. He exhaled and the taste of smoke lingered in his mouth-

"It's your call." He gazed down at the glowing end of his cigarette that kept on growing closer to the end. "Just make sure you don't overdo it, okay? No one wants our new Deputy Major to work herself to death."

The infamous ice queen melted and a gentle smile spread on her rosy lips. "I won't, Soul."

His heart fluttered beneath his hair chest at the sound of his name being softly whispered from his far too precious Deputy Major. He lifted his cigarette to his lips and tried to cover his twitching corners of his lips by taking a drag. "When you're done, go home. Take a bath and get some sleep." The smoke escaped his lips as he spoke. He grinned wide toward her as he tapped his cheek. "You got something there."

Confusedly she stared at him before she picked up her hand mirror from her purse hung over her chair, her eyes widened and a cute gasp left her lips. Instantly she used the sleeve of her suit jacket and whipped off the scribbles on her cheek. "I look like death."

"Exactly my thought."

Her eyes narrowed into thin knife's blade.

He chuckled as he turned on his heel. "Anyway, I'm heading home now." He looked over his shoulder, releasing the smile he'd held in. "I'll see you around."

"Soul!" The chair shrieked as she stood up, slamming her hand and the hand mirror on her desk littering with papers. He came to a shrieking halt and looked over his shoulder once again. "Thank you. For stopping by. It was a long time ago since we talked."

"Yeah…" The tips of his fingers tingled pleasantly. He dropped his cigarette and stomped on it. "Nice seeing you too." He exited the business office.

…

Rain splattered on the windows and slithered down the old glass. Thunder illuminated the dark clouds dominating the sky. Streetlamps lit up empty streets devoid from the usual Fables coming out during the night. The static of TV filled the room and the screen kept blacking out and turning on. Smoke rose from the glowing end on his cigarette to the sound of water splashing in his bathroom.

Another day in silence.

Sixty-three days since he sent Mifune and Angela to The Farm for not being Glamoured. He moved his cigarette to his lips and inhaled loudly, smoke escaping through his nostrils. And sixty-three days since he roomie Kid to The Farm for the same reason. Even though stayed in their shared apartment in his owl form because he was "perfectly symmetrical and mundy form would ruin it", an order was an order, he had to go. Unglamoured fables put the rest in danger. He was simply a sheriff. He'd to oblige to Fabletown's Deputy Mayor.

The water in the bathroom suddenly stopped. The smell of roses and sweet strawberries tingled his nose. Smell that reminded him of fresh green apples and― Soul took another large drag of his cigarette and the glowing end shortened significant. His eyes fluttered shut. No, no, no, no! He couldn't think about her scent. Nope. She was off limits! He couldn't be with her. "Prince charming" had already fucked her up enough when it came to the love department. Her heart turned to ice when she divorced him and now with Justin's hidden desire to fuck her fucked her up even more. Even though he could temporarily melt a part of her and receive kindness from time to time, no one could make her fall in love. He bit his lower lip, sharp teeth nibbling his lower lip.

Not even him.

"Thanks for the shower." Liz stepped out of his bathroom in her ordinary short red dress, drying her hair using friction from the towel.

"You're welcome." He guided his almost burned cigarette, took one last inhale and put it out in his ashtray as the smoke left his nostrils. The mattress shifted as she sat down on the other side of it, towel hanging around her shoulders. "So, Liz, what's up?" Or Patty. The whole mess with Asura had opened his eyes that Patty, the woman he had met clashing with Joe the woodman, was in fact Liz glamoured.

After that day, he went after her and later than evening, she explained everything. He had never met Patty. She had been dead all along. She'd hatched a plan to get her revenge on Asura and avenge their deaths. She was beyond clever and witty. Never would've he suspected her if she hadn't dropped the hints. And that was the reason she had become his partner. Since Maka was busy with her paperwork, she offered to help him out. Simply being a pair of eyes and ears.

"Can I have one of those?" She nodded toward the put out cigarette in the ashtray. He handed her his package of cigarettes. She grabbed it and took a cigarette. She leaned toward him and lit her cigarette between her lips. "The girls at the Pudding n' Pie's still worried. The ribbons' magic might be gone, Giriko's gone, and they're free to do whatever, but they're still in debt and without a job."

"Isn't Maka trying to fix it? She's been working like crazy trying to create job opportunities for everyone."

"Yeah, but some aren't happy with the pace she's working in. Their rents have to be paid and without a paying job, they could get evicted within a soon future, and then she'll have to deal with even angrier Fables that're unemployed _and_ homeless."

"She's doing everything she can. She can't do anything more than she's already doing. She barely sleeps and she doesn't take care of herself anymore." His heart fell in his chest. "She loves Fabletown." The only thing that had enough space in her heart. These past two months had proven she loved Fabletown with every fibre of her stone cold heart. He had never seen her so passionate about making Fabletown into the best she could. She wouldn't sacrifice her time reading her books for nothing. The corner of his lips pointed downward. Not even for him.

"I don't doubt that. I'm sure as hell wouldn't want it." She puffed out a couple circles of smoke. "Fancy suits and paperwork isn't for me."

He snorted. "And a stripper pole is?"

She shoved him with her knee. "It's more like me than suits." She smiled at him. "I'm fit for the―" A knock on the door cut them off. Instantly a grin spread on Liz's face. "_So_, nightly visitor, huh?"

Soul rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat. "You know I'm not that kind of guy."

"But you _did_ make an appointment with me."

He was going to get it shoved up his face every time she could, wouldn't she? It wasn't like he slithered between her legs and cosied up. He just got the key so he could get into the right one so he could investigate it.

"You're never going to let it slide, aren't you?"

She smirked a real shit-eating smirk. "Nope."

Great. Just great. Another knock on the door and he went over to it, twisted and knob and it swung open. His eyes widened at the mess of the one and only Maka Albarn. Wet from head to toe and shivering visibly.

"Hi." She whispered. "I thought you wouldn't be awake."

"Why―"

"Well!" Liz rose up from her seat, instantly Maka's eyes darkened and narrowed into slits. "I think I'll leave now." She tossed the towel at Soul who caught it. "Thanks for the shower again." She shimmied passed them and left. As soon as the sound of Liz's heels disappeared inside of the elevator the anger that coloured Maka's face red burst.

"Isn't it a little bit late for visitors?" she spat.

"She was cold and wanted a warm shower." She cocked her eyebrow. "You know, you could also use a warm shower before you catch a cold."

"And get the same treatment as her? I don't think so." she snarled as her arms tightened around her. Geez, she was too stubborn and… possibly jealous for her own good.

"Um yeah, consider the only thing she got was a warm shower, a conversation and a smoke."

She silenced. She pouted and entered his apartment. "Fine. I could use that too. Minus the cigarette."

He closed the front door after her. "There's clean towels in the closet. Would you like dry clothes?"

She nodded. "Yes please." He disappeared inside of his bedroom, collected a shirt and a pair of boxers for her. He handed her them before she disappeared inside of the shower. Whatever that had blessed him with Maka showing up at his apartment in the middle of the night was awesome. He'd no clue why she was here, but she. was. here. His hands ran clammy with sweat and his heart went crazy like a runaway train. She was really here, in his apartment and he couldn't quite process it. Sixty-three days of separation and no talk, and now she was _here_.

And her smell. Oh dear, the scent of sweat was washed off and now her natural sweetness perfumed his apartment. The scent he's been missing from their investigation together. He wouldn't be able to sleep for days now when her intoxicating scent plagued his home.

The water was turned off and he could hear the distant sound of her small feet stepping out of the tub and the sound of her whipping the water off her body with her towel. He shouldn't listen. He shouldn't invade her privacy by eaves-dropping on the sound of her hanging the towel on his hook or the boxers slipping up her legs or― no. He shakes his head madly and inhales deeply, letting the smoke fill his lungs. Nope. He couldn't invade her privacy like that. Nope, no, no, no―

The bathroom door swung open and out stepped Maka in only his boxers and shirt. Long creamy legs at his display that seemed to go on for miles and collarbones sharper and mouth-watering now exposed for his eyes to feed on. She'd turned him into a puppy wanting to nibble on her collarbone and run his hand up her long legs and under her―

"I think I used all of your warm water. Sorry." He couldn't help but to notice how beautiful her hair was when let down. A beautiful wet mess running down her shoulders. He'd to say, her hair in a bun was beautiful, but her hair let down made his stomach flip and blood heat.

"Don't worry about it." He waved it away and took a hurried drag of his cigarette. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Stay down! He blew out the smoke and crossed his legs. "So, what brings you here in the middle of the night?"

She tucked her legs underneath her as she cosied up on the couch, leaning toward him and propping her arm up on the back of the couch. Her eyes half-lidded as she peaked at him through her bangs. "You've been hanging a lot with Liz lately." she neutrally stated with her professional voice he'd gotten to witness on multiple occasions.

"We're colleagues."

"But we're also colleagues."

"More like you're my superior. We work in two different departments."

She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "But _we_ don't see each other that often."

"But _we're_ not partners anymore. Liz is."

Her mouth stretched into a thin line and her jaw visibly tightened. He knew it he admitted it out loud, he would get a punch to the face, but she was cute when she was frustrated. "But are you _only_ partners?"

So that was what was bugging her. She was jealous! And jealous because of Liz of all people. Liz had been the person who helped them the most with the murder cases. She'd been working in the shadows, already possessing all the information they needed, and found ways to communication it without ending up dead. It dawned on him. Of course she would be jealous of Liz. As soon as Asura was thrown into the Witching Well, they were no longer partners. She'd been promoted Deputy Major of Fabletown and he was left doing his job. And then, the woman that helped him out, entrusted her information to him, came and took her place and because his partner. Did she think… that Liz and he could be… no. She wouldn't.

His eyes locked with her dark emerald orbs critically scanning every expression he made. Hands fisting tightly.

Or would she…?

"If you're asking if Liz and I are shagging… then no. We're strictly professional."

Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward to the point their noses almost touched as she searched for a single hint that he was lying. A smile blossomed on her face. "Good. Because a relationship between co-workers is not permitted."

Instantly his heart sank in his chest. The little hope that fluttered inside of him was smashed into mush. Of course she wouldn't like him. _She was the ice queen!_ Of course she only cared if he was breaking the rules or not. No one could ever li―

"It wasn't the only reason I came here." she whispered, her breath hitting his lips. Oh boy. He could use a drag of his cigarette about now. "I'm proud of you."

"What?" he spoke astonished.

"The way you conducted yourself during the whole investigation. I know you're quick to engage in violence due to your past… and I was worried you would fall back into your old ways." She placed her hand on his knee. "But you didn't. You brought in Asura for trial. You sincerely _cared_ about the safety of other." Her thumb gently traced the edge of his kneecap. "I never really got to say it… but I'm so happy for you. The last thing I would want is to watch you become a murderer."

Without tearing his eyes away from her soft ones, he put out his cigarette on his ashtray. His heart raced in his chest and he cupped his hand over hers. "Me neither." He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "I've already done so many wrongs. I hope I've at least done something good."

"You have. I'll always be grateful for what you've done."

He smiled gently and she leaned toward him, resting her head against his shoulder. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she snuggled her face into the curve of his neck.

"Can I hide here for the night? I don't want to deal with angry Fables in―" She glanced at the clock hanging on his wall. "―four hours."

"Sure. You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"No." she groaned and her eyes fluttered shut. "I'm the intruder, I can sleep on the couch."

"It's fine. You take the bed. You need all the sleep you can get."

"Okay" she yawned loudly. "For everything. You're a real friend." Before she even finished her sentence, dreamland had whisked her away. He chuckled. Such a cute dork. As soon as he added the slightest bit of pressure, her hand fisted his shirt, refusing to let him go. His heat swelled with affection and his arm snaked around her waist. Even though he was a walking heater, with his free hand he grabbed a discarded blanket and wrapped it around her.

Even if she didn't feel the same way, what they had was something far too precious. He could always count on her, and she could always count on him. They were a team even after the murder investigation. They looked out for each other and he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.


	20. Childhood Sweethearts

This story has been kicking it in my docs for a couple of months now, but when I saw Eis's art ( eisschirmchen . Tumblr (the dot and com) / post/153097535949/i-apologize-for-not-uploading-stuff-for-awhile ) of Soul and Maka as kids, I just had to return to this drabble, edit it and post it. Go check Eis's drawing out because this would've still been in my docs if it weren't for her art.

* * *

**Childhood Sweethearts**

At first the adults thought it was cute; two toddlers getting along well, playing together and sharing toys with one another. The parents had made cute moans and taken pictures of Soul and Maka together in their diapers. Then Mrs. Evans had the splendid idea of encouraging the toddlers to kiss for a photograph.

Eleven years later, somehow, Soul and Maka had stayed together. Not as friends, but _together_-together. Eleven years of hand-holding and cheek kisses and introducing the other as their boyfriend and girlfriend. Eleven years of what once stared as a cute gesture from a parent lead to a long-lasting relationship.

Maka bit down on her flushed lower lip, hands fisting the purple frills hanging from her hem. Students out on the dance floor dancing to upbeat music Soul would label as junk. She gazed over her shoulder at the snack table where Soul and Black*Star stood leaning up against the wall with plates full with food.

Their relationship had always been comfortable. Nice. She was enjoying all the hand-holding and cheek kisses. It was all… good. Since she could remember… Soul was always _there_. He was always there waiting on the street outside of her home, ready to walk to school with her, always taking a seat beside her and entwining his fingers with her. It was cute and all at the beginning, but now almost being adults? Their relationship started by a parent's encouragement for a kiss, now? She wasn't quite so sure. For all these years, _why were they still together_?

She sighed heavily as she rested her chin on her palm. It was all routine. When joining the other, their hands would automatically clasp and fingers entangle. When leaving, one of them would kiss the other's cheek and walk away. Never had they shared a kiss. Not an ordinary kiss she had seen Black*Star and Tsubaki do. One that was filled with passion and love for one another. Never had they really confessed and become a couple. For as long as she had remembered, they were always a couple.

When strangers and friends asked how long they'd been together, their jaws would hit the floor and eyebrows disappearing underneath their bangs. But was it really valid? It wasn't like they loved each other from day one. Heck, maybe there wasn't any love at all?

Her heart wrenched in her chest at the thought. She can sincerely say she did not love him when they first kissed as toddlers. Not a year later. Not two years later. It wasn't until her twelfth birthday she accepted she loved her dear boyfriend. She still couldn't forget the moment he handed her the blue and white package containing the beautiful keychain which still decorated her keys to this day. His eyes looking the other way and shoulders tensed, he looked too cute with his blush on his cheeks and at that moment, she knew she was in love.

But was he? If he held any feelings toward her wouldn't he have told her already? Was he simply comfortable with the way it was? Satisfied being in an emotionless relationship with her?

Her head slowly lowered until her eyes set on her modest bust. She had flaws. He had pointed it out numerous times for her to get the hint: he wasn't attracted to her. Then why would he persist on continuing their relationship if there was nothing positive about it?

It wasn't true. She knew very well he had a couple of girls thirsting to take her place. Girls that were his type. Mature girls with curves and pretty faces batting their rich eyelashes and leaving love letters in his locker, not to forget all the heart-shaped boxes full with chocolate he would share with Black*Star before he would come to her place and watch a movie, too full with chocolate to even bother eating hers. So why on earth didn't he end it and date one of them if they were his type and made better chocolate than her?

Her hands moved to her temples and gently she massaged her skull. It was all so confusing― _he_ was confusing. Relationships were supposed to be easy― _he_ was supposed to be easy to read. But it all had turned into one large mess.

"Maka?"

She jolted, eyes snapping upward at the familiar voice. "Clay!" Eyes widened at the blond young man in front of her with hands casually in his pockets. "This is a school dance. Are you crashing?"

He nodded his head toward the empty chair beside her that had been long ago vacant by Soul. "Sure." Clay sat down beside her, back slouched and his endless legs extended.

Maka had met Clay countless of times at the library where he had worked part-time. She often ran into him by the _fantasy_ section where they found themselves discussing books and movies based on books.

"I heard the dance could be pretty cool so I asked Akane to get me in." He shrugged his shoulders and grinned toward her. "Here I am. I didn't expect to see you here though."

"Well, I was attending with my friends…" her gaze darted toward the dance floor where she saw Patty and Tsubaki jumped around dancing it out while Kid had grabbed Liz, struggling much to Kid's annoyance as they tried dancing symmetrically together. Black*Star kept on loading chips on his paper plate and shoving the food in his mouth, pieces flying as he spoke with his mouth open. She couldn't help but notice the gang of mature girls who stood at the other end of the snack table, checking Soul out as they whispered into each other's ears.

"Ah, so they ditched you?"

She shook her head, pigtails whipping her cheeks. "No, not at all. They wanted to dance and I wasn't in the mood. That's all to it."

"I see." He retrieved his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest. "So what's bothering you?"

She cocked her eyebrow and tilted her head with wonder. "Why would I be bothered?"

"Your expression screams 'I've problems'. So what's up? Lost a book from the library?"

She shook her head. Clay and she were occasionally friends. They didn't talk if they didn't run into each other, bothering him with her relationship problems wouldn't be a smart move. She shouldn't be talking about it with anyone _but_ Soul. He was the person she had to confront, not Clay.

"It's nothing to worry about." Her relationship with Soul couldn't go on like it does. She loved him, but it wouldn't be fair to both of them to continue the relationship. Their relationship was stupid. Just because none of them had the heart to shut it down when it was based on their stupid parents.

It had to end. Tonight―

"Maka." She whipped around on her chair. Soul stood taller than usual having straightened his typically slouched back, hands out of his pockets. "Who's this?"

"Oh!" She gestured toward her friend. "Soul, this is Clay. He's my friend. Clay, Soul."

"I'm her b―"

"Roommate!" Maka quickly pitched in. Soul's eyes fluttered as he stared at her astonished. "We share an apartment. Hard to get hold of good apartments these days especially when you're a high schooler." She nervously laughed, rubbing the back of her head.

"I can only imagine." Clay commented. There was no need for Maka to gaze at Soul, she could feel two burning spots at her neck from Soul's baffled gaze. "Anyway, so are you enjoying the party?" Clay turned toward Soul. She refused to meet his stare which burned to meet her eyes.

"It's alright." He placed his hand on her shoulder. She tried to suppress tensing under his touch, but in her heart, she knew he felt it. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Here it goes.

"Sure. Let's talk outside." She rose from her seat, waved goodbye to Clay, and headed for the exit. Soul was close on her tail, only two steps behind with his hands in check to her relief. He must've sensed her discomfort.

Once outside, the cool air hit her bare arms and the moon shone down upon them. They found the bench right by the endless stairs up Shibusen and took a seat. Thankfully Soul left some space between them. The music from within the school distant and muffled and the silence hung heavily in the air.

"You've been acting weird." Soul broke the silence after a few long moments. "Not just tonight, but the past couple of days too." She couldn't deny it. Her relationship with Soul had always seemed to be effortless. They simply just… worked. Everything seemed to work between them, but… no love. At least not mutual. It couldn't do.

"I know. I'm sorry. I've had a lot on my mind lately." she confessed.

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yes." Her hands nervously fisted her dress, eyes fixated on them to avoid Soul's watchful eyes. "There is something I want to say to you." She inhaled loudly. "I think it's time we end this."

Soul cocked his eyebrow as his eyes searched for hers. "Do you mean…" His voice was fearful and tense. "… ending our relationship?"

Her heart tightened in her chest at the unexpected hurt in his voice. "Throughout our life it has always been us. Are we really just going to go along and not see how life is with other people…?"

"I see…" His hands clasped together, elbows resting on his knees. She dared to take a peek at him and to her dismay, his bangs covered his face. "So who's the guy?"

"What?!" She shot up from her seat and stared at him with wide eyes. Anger fired up and coloured her cheeks red.

"It's that guy, right? Clay, was it?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "Why would I like a different guy?!

"Then why would you want to break up with me?!" He rose from his seat quickly, his bangs whipping away from his face. Her breath was lost at the sight of his teary eyes, years since she last witnessed him crying. "We've been together for soon twelve years! We've been through _everything_ together! Why would you possibly want to throw it all away?!"

She bit her lower lip, trying to numb the pain in her heart. "It's not because of some guy."

"Then I'm the problem?" his voice cracked.

"No!"

"Have you fallen out of love with me?"

"How could I?!" She slapped her hands over her mouth, far too late.

"Then why?" He plopped down on the bench once again, burying his face in his hands. This break-up was going far less smooth than she'd imagined. She'd thought he would accept it and walk away, he was truly hurting. His ordinary façade of boredom was ripped to pieces and exposed the ugly hurt he was enduring. A hurt she'd caused.

"We've been together for almost our entire life. This relationship started because of our parents and it has just gone on and on. _We_ didn't start this."

"But it was _us_ who decided to continue it."

"We didn't decide it."

"Then who did?!" He slapped his hands on his pants. His cheeks smudged with his tears. "I sure as hell decided every day I wanted to be with you."

Her breath hitched. "Don't lie to me!" A tidal wave of tears washed over her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. "You always told me how I wasn't enough and you sure enjoyed to point out how my body wasn't to your liking―"

"That was years ago! You know I stopped when I found you crying in the girl's bathroom 3rd of April three years ago."

She bit her lower lip. It was true. After she'd disappeared from their lunch table in a hurry after a mean comment, he followed her and found her locked in a stall, bawling her eyes out. He'd stayed with her, holding her and apologized over and over again, but it had planted seeds of self-resent in her mind. She looked at herself as a scrawny ugly girl no one would be able to love. Not even her boyfriend.

"But it doesn't change how you look at me!" Her hands tightened by her sides, looking away from him. "You still feel that way… you still think of me that way…"

"I never felt that way. I was immature and I didn't know what to do when you hit puberty. I didn't know how to handle your boobs." His warm hands placed on her shoulders. "Please look at me."

She sniffled and slowly, her eyes locked with his teary red ones. "I'm sorry for calling you those awful things. I never wanted to hurt you." He tugged at her shoulders and she allowed him to pull her into his embrace. "But do you think if I felt that way I would still be here?"

She bit her lower lip and nodded. "Yes…"

"Then I'm happy to tell you I wouldn't. I'm here because I love you." His fingertips comfortingly caressed her spine. "I know it's odd how long we've been together, but it's something I wouldn't want to change. I'm happy being with you."

"But- but all those girls! You ate all their chocolate on a Valentine's Day and you didn't even eat any of my chocolate I made for you. They always leave give you so many love letters."

Soul chuckled, burying his face in her hair. "And you know I apologized. You know ever since that year I gave all the chocolate to Black*Star. I'll repeat myself, I love _you_, if I wanted someone else I wouldn't be with you."

Her hands quivered against his hips, mouth running dry as if she had wandered a desert for days. Her feelings weren't one-sided. He loved her. She was loved. "Then why…? Why haven't you told me until now when I'm breaking up with you…?"

His eyes fluttered. "I thought you knew. We're in a relationship after all. I would've told you if my feelings changed."

She wanted to cry and laugh and steal candy from a child. Of course Soul would do that. He never was good with emotions. Of course he would take it all that way. "But why wouldn't you want to kiss me or want to touch my boobs like other guys?"

Soul heartily laughed into her ear and squeezed her form against his chest. "You've listened too much to Black*Star's rants."

"But doesn't every guy want it?"

"Not everybody. Kid certainly doesn't want it."

"But don't _you_ want it?"

"Yeah― I mean, only if that's what you want." Suddenly his face heated up against her skull. "I didn't really think you wanted it. I thought maybe you approached these things like Kid and I was okay with it."

It all had been one huge tangle of miscommunication on their part. Or lack of communication. How could both of them be so blind? If only they'd opened up earlier and communicated with each other, they would've never been in this mess.

"… do you want to date me? We could go for some ice-cream."

He snorted and pulled away from her, hands still on her lower back. "I would love to. I'm getting hungry. How about Chinese and movie night?"

"How can you be hungry? You and Black*Star ate half the food on the snack table."

"So you were checking me out." He waggled his eyebrows.

She huffed and half-heartedly slapped his chest. "More like _you_ checked _me_ out. Storming at me like some jealous boyfriend."

"At least I admit it unlike some." He cupped her cheek and wiped away the smudges of her now ruined mascara she had applied for the school dance. "Do you want some Chinese or not?"

A smile spread on her face and she leaned into his touch as his thumb ran over her cheek. "I would love to."


	21. Editor in love

I felt like updating something. I've had this thing laying around in my docs for a couple of months and I felt like this was a good time to upload it.

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**Editor in love**

Soul sipped from his coffee as he headed toward work. The corners of his mouth twitched with excitement as he went down the streets of Death City (because it was uncool skipping merrily).

Another day editing new at the news station. Another day behind the computer screen. Another day of staring with amazed wonder at the new anchor on his screen as his chest turned to gooey mush.

When he took the job at the local news station, he hadn't any intentions of staying more than a year. He was more interested in editing cool jazz music videos than boring debates about flossing. Now he had worked at the news station for two years and nine months, and he _still_ hadn't started searching for other jobs. Of course the cute, smart, news anchor had nothing to do with his choice to stay. It wasn't like he enjoyed zooming into her face in his editing program so he could watch every expression she made, studying everything from the small wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows as she tried to maintain her rage and the dimples in her cheeks when something positive surprised her.

Nope, he didn't stay because of her.

The front door shrieked loudly, janitor Joe hadn't still oiled the hinges. The cool air from the AC made him uncomfortably aware of his soaked armpits and the moist pearls hiding underneath his bangs. The Nevada sun had no mercy on him. He probably should've drowned himself in axe body spray just like Black*Star.

With his free hand he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his two top buttons while balancing his full cup of coffee.

Before he knew it, he rounded the corner and ran right into a person. Scolding hot coffee splashed over his hand and the person. His mouth went wide at the feminine gasp and the gigantic stain of coffee all over her white shirt.

His eyes bulged out of their sockets at the view of the one and only, Maka Albarn, standing right in front of him with his coffee splashed all over her.

"Oh death." She frantically blew at the hot liquid all over her shirt.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, Maka!" His paper cup of Deathbucks coffee hit the floor and immediately ripped at his tie. "I-I've help you!" His tie hit the floor and soaked in the coffee. Buttons from his shirt sprayed in every direction, ripping it off his arms. "I-I can get that stain away!" He grabbed a hold of her shirt, rubbing at the stain on her shirt with his.

"Sir." Maka said.

"Don't worry. I-I'll fix this!" He scrubbed at the stain violently.

"Sir!" she exclaimed. He halted his hand, completely aware of his naked chest and his bunched up shirt totally on hers. The coffee stain on her shirt transforming it into a transparent filter, exposing her dark purple bra.

His shirt fell from his hand, staring at Maka with wide eyes. She gazed at him as if he wore a straitjacket.

"I'm sorry!" He moved passed her, totally slipping on the coffee as he hurried away to his hideout inside of the editor's section.

He didn't know what the weirdest part was: that he arrived shirtless or that he slammed the door shut behind him, locking it as if he was hunted by the police. Whatever it was, Black*Star's laughter was the far worst part. He fell from his chair in the process. Soul had rolled his eyes and stolen Black*Star's hoodie to cover himself.

Editing after the worst first encounter with the smart and beautiful Maka Albarn, he could only cringe and look away from her gaze as he edited her videos. He wasn't even in front of her and his neck disappeared inside of his body.

He sat with his headphones on, drowning in his embarrassment as he choked on the stench of axe body spray on Black*Star's hoodie. He definitely should never use the amount of body spray Black*Star uses or else he would lose his sense of smell.

A tap on his shoulders, he ripped of his headphones to see Black*Star standing with bag swung over his shoulder. "I'm heading out. Don't stay too long, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"You know you can't hide in here forever. You gotta come out someday."

"Yeah, as soon as the whole office forgets it. No thanks to you." He turned back to his computer screen.

"Come on man, I only told Kilik about it. And maybe Harvar and Kim." Soul rolled his eyes at his friend and put his headphones on.

Oh couldn't believe how they could be friends. The most embarrassing encounter he has ever had with a crush. He totally first burned her and then sexually assaulted her. The whole office knew of his embarrassing moment thanks to Black*Star's big mouth. All he could do now was either quit his job or wait till the cops came and arrested him. Whatever it was, it would be easier than looking into Maka's eyes.

He gazed at the paused video on his screen of Maka, smiling wide and eyes sparkling as she stared into the camera. Cute dimples and all. He couldn't believe he did that to her. She had to hate him for completely violating her like that in the lobby.

His shoulder was once again tapped. He growled with annoyance and ripped his headphones off his head. "Black*Star I―" his voice disappeared at the cute news anchor standing right. In front. Of. Him. Now with a clean identical white shirt.

"Your name is Soul Evans, right?" she cautiously asked him.

He was left speechless and he nodded.

"You forgot your clothes." She extended his black silk tie and his button up shirt with coffee stains.

He accepted his clothes, avoiding her eyes. He murmured a "thank you".

"Don't worry about this morning's event." She started. "Black*Star explained everything."

His gaze snapped up at her. "Black*Star?" he nervously questioned.

"Yeah. He explained everything during lunch."

He was sweating bullets. What exactly had he _told her?_ He never even mentioned he talked with her. He knew of Soul's crush on Maka! He wanted to melt in his seat and disappear through the cracks in the floor.

"He did…?" He squeaked.

"Yes, and quite frankly, I agree with him." He gulped visibly, sweating bullets. He was lucky Black*Star's hoodie was black. "Since you ruined my shirt, I think you owe me a cup of coffee."

His eyes fluttered. "What?"

Maka crossed her arms behind her back, looking cuter than ever. "Black*Star might have told me of your crush on me."

Soul groaned and melted in his chair, attempting to hide behind the back of his chair. "I'm so sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. Black*Star has actually talked about you, offered me your phone number and all. I didn't realize you were _that_ Soul Evans."

He peeked up from the back of his chair. "He did that?"

She nodded, smiling wide. "Yes. So how about it?" She offered him her hand. "You want to grab a coffee?"

He couldn't believe it. A smile spread on his face and he timidly grabbed her hand. "Sure."


	22. The Wolf Who Huffed and Puffed Part 2

I found some old pictures of me and my cat snuggling as we watched a The Wolf Among Us playthrough and I just came up with this plot at once. I hope you all like it! I highly encourage you to read part one before you read this one.

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**The Wolf Who Huffed and Puffed Part 2**

If he had known letting her crash at his place would be the start of something… odd and back-hurting, he might've rethought his decision. When his back hurt like a bith in the morning after sleeping on the couch, he enjoyed imagining if he had sent her to her own home and his back would've been given a break from the scrawny bed of his. He knew he didn't have the heart to send her away, especially when she looked like death after a nineteen long day behind her desk.

A pattern quickly started to form. She returned to his apartment a little after midnight, took a shower while he reheated some leftover or made some sandwiches depending on what was in his fridge for her. While she was showering, he knocked on the door, waiting for her approval before he entered with a towel and her pyjamas (yes, he had been to her apartment and grabbed a few clothes and hygiene products from her apartment) and placed them on the toilet. Once she had showered, he kept her company as she ate her food before she went to bed inside of his bedroom while he slept on the couch. His alarm clock would go off too early in the morning and while he was still snoring on the couch, she would tiptoe out of his apartment.

Sometimes, he asked himself, why on earth would she come to his apartment every day after work? They didn't talk about work. He simply prepared her a meal and offered her a shower. It's nothing special. She had a nicer place than his. Now when she worked and crashed at his place, her place was bound to be dusty.

Don't get him wrong. He appreciated her company, even loved it. It was almost… it reminded him of a happily married couple. Instead he was taking care of his friend who just happened to be his superior.

By now, he was very aware of her work ethics. Even if she had any feelings close to his, she would choke them and bury them deep within her because romantic relationships between co-workers were off her list. She would be the one to report romantic relationships than engage in them.

His impossible vision, his prohibited feelings toward Maka was heart-achingly impossibly. She was his superior. The most impossible relationship to deepen. It wasn't helping she was divorced and scorned since many years ago.

His home had gone from being his safe sphere to his personal torture chamber. Her scent had permanently perfumed his bedroom and no amount of cigarettes could cover it up. His pants were always uncomfortably tight and he cursed his damn nose from continuously picking up her sweet scent in his apartment.

He was going insane. If a throbbing boner wouldn't kill him, her scent surely would.

Letting her crash at his apartment was a bad idea. A _really bad_ idea. The worst he had ever come up with.

But he _still_ had given her a key to his apartment!

This time it was different.

The shitty music vibrated the air as he sat by the bar with a half-empty bottle of beer in his hand. The clock behind the bartender polishing a cocktail glass glared him down. It was one in the morning, which meant Maka had probably eaten her food alone and gone to bed. Maybe she even broke her pattern and left to sleep at her own apartment for a change.

"You're seriously not going to go home?" Liz said as she held her cocktail, watching the see-through liquid kiss the mouth of the glass as she slowly rolled it.

"Exactly." he muttered.

"You know you can snuggle up to her like the overgrown puppy you are."

He cocked his eyebrow and gave her a _are you shitting me_ look. Every single fable in Fabletown knew Maka was the Ice Queen. The divorce had frozen her heart after she found her ex-husband in bed with another woman. If he were to pull such a move, she wouldn't just maim him, she would first beat him to a bloody puddle and then feed his testicles to the wolves. Or maybe him.

"Okay maybe you shouldn't do that at once, but come on. If she was all about professionalism, what's professional about going to your inferior's home in the middle of the night and sleeping there?"

"My apartment is just closer to the office."

"Yeah, but think about it. A person visits you in the middle of the night. My mind doesn't exactly go to a friendly warm shower and a meal, it goes to the bedroom."

"Of course your mind does." he snorted. "You're like a dog in heat twenty-four seven."

"At least some of us get it on."

Low blow. The disgusting and impossible feeling he held toward Maka was preventing him from moving on, heck, there wasn't anything to _move on_ from when they had never been an item. He could flirt with the other fables approaching him, he could take them home and relieve himself from stress, but he just couldn't. Every time he tried to flirt with a woman, Maka kept popping up in his head. How hard he tried to squash the feeling of discomfort and try to enjoy the girl's company, he just couldn't.

Liz sighed and placed her glass on the wooden surface, her index finger absently caressing the edge of her glass. "Listen, we both know Maka's smart. She knows her nightly visits to your apartment looks bad."

"What are you trying to say?" The tension hung heavily in the air as he fully faced her.

"Well, if the council finds out about her regular nightly visits to her inferior co-worker, it could be seen as unprofessional and biased. They could ultimately fire her as Deputy Major."

He hadn't thought about it before. The situation they found themselves in was highly questionable. From an outside perspective, he had to agree it could look like they were secret lovers. Soul didn't work directly under her, but she still had power over him. If the council found out about her visits… she could _really_ lose her position. She worked her ass off for Fabletown and a lot of fables who lost their job after they brought The Crooked Man to justice had received a new job. Never before had he witnessed a Deputy Major work as hard as she was. Maka was the Deputy Major of Fabletown they'd been waiting for. On her own, she had conquered some huge issues and she wasn't going to stop. Seven months since she was promoted Deputy Major and he wanted to celebrate the day she'd been the Deputy Major for a year.

He had to stop this. She loved Fabletown. She needed the Deputy Major position. As selfish as he wanted to be to share his apartment with her, he couldn't be. He loved spending as much time as he could with her, but this was taking too much of a risk.

He couldn't allow this anymore.

"Fuck." He ran his hand through his hair. "It really does look bad."

"You know I don't want to be mean, but dude, Maka is the best Deputy Major we have ever had. Soul, you _can't_ let Maka lose her job."

"I know." He heavily sighed as he covered his face in his hands. "I'll have to fix this."

Even though this would mean he would go back and never see her again except for the brief run ins in the hallways when she was followed by other fables hollering suggestions and issues and waving their errands in her face. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He… they would go back being almost strangers again.

Soul pushed away the beer bottle. He didn't feel like drinking anymore. "I'll go home."

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will." He left a bill by the beer bottle and left the calm little bar.

…

His eyes bulged out of his sockets at the view of Maka laying on his couch, plate and utensils forgotten on the coffee table. Her hair still wet and clumpy from her shower, his shampoo instead of hers he had brought oozing from her hair. The usual pastel blue shirt and shorts peeking out from underneath his blanket was replaced with his shirt and boxers.

Had she… had she been waiting for him? He wet his suddenly dry lips and the front door clicked shut.

What he thought was silent was enough to wake Maka up. She inhaled loudly and shot up into a sitting position. "Soul?" She rubbed her eyes and the wide smile spreading on her face was doing some strange things in his gut.

"Aren't you supposed to sleep?" he said as he shrugged off his leather jacket and dropped it to the ground.

"Yeah." She placed her phone on the coffee table. She hadn't just been waiting up for him, but she had been waiting for him to call her. "I wanted to stay up for you. It would be rude of me to go to bed when you've always been waiting up for me."

"It's nothing. You could've gone to bed."

Her cheeks flushed and she pouted at him like a stubborn child. "But I _wanted_ too."

Soul chuckled and took of his shoes and unceremoniously left them in a pile next to Maka's neatly placed shoes on the shoe rack. "Yeah, I'm here now. You can go to sleep."

"Don't you remember what you said?"

He cocks his eyebrow quizzically at her. "What?"

"What you said when I came here months ago. When Liz was here."

There had been a few times when Liz was around when she arrived. Liz had collected their paperwork before she left, but he couldn't remember any specific words she had said that made an impact on her.

Maka sighed and fidgeted with his blanket. "The first time I was here you offered me a shower and a conversation. And a smoke which―"

"You declined. Now I remember." Soul added. He went toward the couch and supported his hands on the back of it. "So, you finally want that smoke, huh?"

"What- _no_, I want to converse with you."

"If you haven't noticed, we've been talking all this time. Seriously Maka, you're supposed to be the smarter one of us."

She rolled her eyes and smacked his hand. "You know what I mean!"

"And you know what I mean, so spit it out." He leaned closer and supported himself on his elbows. "I've something I need to talk to you about."

"Me?" Surprise was visible in her voice. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well…" How was he supposed to say this without sounding like a douchebag? He jumped over the couch's back and landed beside her, the springs shrieking loudly in protest. "You know your work ethic?"

"What about it?" She tilted her head questioningly, not really following him.

"Liz and I were talking," her eyes seemed to darken, "we're both worried about this."

"And what exactly is _this_?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

He wet his lips. Here goes nothing. "You coming here ever night."

"You want me to leave?" He flinched at her snarl.

"I don't want it, but Liz and I agreed on you coming here on a nightly basis is _very_ suspicious."

"So what?" Maka sneered. Hands balling threateningly and eyes narrowed into a murderous look. "I can go and visit whoever I want without it being weird. I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I want."

"Calm down. Have you already forgotten your lecture about romantic relationships between co-workers? With your nightly visits here people can think we're lovers."

It was as if the anger had melted off her. Her eyes dawned with realization and her shoulders lowered as the tension left her muscles. She bit her rosy lower lip as her gaze lowered.

"If the council found out about this, I doubt they would believe we _weren't_ intimate. Heck, I'm sure I wouldn't believe it if someone said it to me. If people found out about this, you could lose your position as Deputy Major."

Maka was rendered speechless. She gripped his blanket so hard her knuckles turned white. She mumbled something under her breath.

"What's that?" he questioned.

"I said," her gaze lifted from her balled hands, "it's not fair."

It wasn't the reaction he had expected. "It's not that bad―"

"We're not even in the same department!" she interrupted him, her voice booming in the apartment and threatened to awaken the neighbours. "I'm not even _seeing_ you at work, let along working with you. How can I be biased about you when I don't even give you _any_ orders?"

"You could indirectly support me by raising the funds for the police force―"

"I did the _opposite_ of that and lowered the salaries and opened up more positions within the police force."

"I'm still worried." He grabbed a hold of her shoulders, feeling her tiny shoulders hidden underneath his shirt. Thumbs ran over her collarbones, wishing his shirt was a little lower so he could caress her smooth skin. "You're the best Deputy Major Fabletown has ever had. You've made some awesome changes for Fabletown and we can't risk your position because my apartment is closer to your office."

"You- you think this is about distance?" Her face suddenly twisted with disgust and she gazed at him as if he had spit right in her face. Maybe he had even done that. Except with words.

"Why else would you be here? Your apartment is bigger and better shape and―"

"I'm here because of _you_, you giant fur ball!"

Now it was his time to be surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because," her tongue darted out and wet her lips. "I want to be happy."

He wasn't sure he followed. There wasn't a moment he didn't see some form of happiness on her face. Even when she was working hard with her paperwork or took care of an especially frustrated and angry fable, there had always been a spark of energy and happiness. She enjoyed working and contributing toward the society. It was what made her happy. She was fierce, brave, independent and compassioned, qualities that didn't come as easily for him. He admired her ability to connect with people and reach their hearts, he saw the happy twinkle in her eyes every time she managed to solve a problem.

So why wasn't she happy?

"Aren't you happy now?"

"Not as happy as I want to be." She released the blanket and nervously fiddled with her fingers. What was going on? "It's just… I _know_ I can be happier."

He tilted his head, still confused by the puzzle pieces she was giving him. "You're not making any sense."

"Okay." She composed herself, taking a deep breath and straightened her back. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You know about my divorce?"

"Yeah." He braced himself for what he was going to say, he needed to watch her carefully. "Is he… has he bothered you?"

"No! I haven't talked to him since the divorce." She spat as if the thought of her husband made her stomach turn. "I know the divorce hardened my heart. I know I threw myself into work because it made me happy and it made me forget the hurt. Now, when I get off work, I'm just… empty."

"And how exactly does crashing at my place make you happy?"

A warm blush dusted her cheeks and a wide smile grew on her face, beaming at him as if he was the most important person in the whole wide world. "Because you are here. I love hanging out with you and our partnership during The Crooked Man case made it clear to me that I don't want to be _just_ your partner during a case or a colleague. I would- it would mean a lot if you also would want me as a… as a more permanent figure in your life."

His breath was stolen as he stared at her blushing and fidgeting form. Did… had he heard it right? Had she just confessed she liked him and she wanted to be his girlfriend? _The Ice Queen_ melted her heart and fell for _him_? The wolf that broke people's homes till Joe came and sliced him up and almost drowned him in the process. She liked a beast like him who still had problems following what was right. Without Maka during The Crooked Man case, he was sure he would've ripped his throat out and returned with his corpse. Then, it would've been him falling into the Witching Well.

He was immoral. Made the wrong decisions more often than not. Even though she had scolded him on multiple occasions, she had still fallen for _him_. Out of all the decent fables in Fabletown, she chose him.

A wide grin spread on his face and he affectionately grabbed her hand. "You really do have a bad taste in men."

Maka giggled as her shorter and smoother fingers entwined with his. "You know it's an insult to you."

"I know."

"And you still stand by it?"

"Of course. First you chose a douchebag and now you downgrade and chose a murderer and a beast." He snorted as Maka slowly moved closer to him on the couch, long legs slipping out from underneath the blanket and draping over his legs, excitingly they parted and hugged his hips on either side. "It sounds even more fucked up when you say it out loud."

"Hmm." He embarrassingly squeaked when she grabbed a hold of his shirt, fingers running along his buttons. "I think I've great taste." She grabbed a hold of his tie, slowly untying it. His hands grew clammy and heart rushing in his chest, no clue where this would go but he had no intentions of hindering her. When did she even grow this bold?!

"That's why you've―" His breath was taken when she yanked at his tie and her mouth collided with his. Her mouth slanted against his as she crawled up on his lap, her heels wonderfully digging into his lower back as she tugged at his tie. His clothes rustled as she ripped the tie from around his neck and discarded it on the floor. Her fingers feathered over the exposed skin around his throat and she popped one button open at a time.

After unbuttoning his shirt and needy nails scratching his stomach, they pulled away, heavy breaths mixing and foreheads touching. "―absolutely amazing taste." he whispered against her mouth.

"I know." She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and he threw it on the coffee table. "Less talking and more mouth."

"Yes, ma'am." Their mouths connected once again and they had no intentions of stopping.

Everything became a blur. He'd no clue when he lost all of his clothes and when she did or how the hell they got on his bed. How he'd gotten in between her legs was the biggest mystery of them all.

He caressed her bare hip as she slept peacefully beside him, head resting against his chest and ribcage rising and falling for each breath.

Liz wouldn't be happy. Heck, a tiny (microscopic) part of him was disappointed. He was supposed to protect her position and keep Fabletown safe. He had done the complete opposite and turned the possible suspicions into a reality. They had sex and damned it was good. No way was he going to let them drift back into colleagues who once in a while met in the corridor. She was here to stay, and it was exactly what he wanted.

He was the big bad wolf. Immoral to a fault and dangerous beyond belief. He had corrupted his sweet Deputy Major and now, if the council got their hands on this information, he knew her position was threatened.

For her, for the sake of the Fabletown and for them, he was willing to do anything.

That was exactly why he was the big bad wolf.


	23. Card Captor Sakura AU

Cardcaptor Sakura AU

Happy birthday Maks! I hope you've a wonderful day with lots of cake and happiness! Hope you enjoy this thingy I wrote for you.

_In which Soul returns to Death City unannounced and Tsubaki has made a movie of Maka's growth as the cardcaptor of the Maka cards. _

"How could you be so darn stupid!" Soul laughed loudly as he leaned backward on the chair inside of Tsubaki's secret cinema, balancing on the hind legs. He munched with his mouth open on some popcorn from the bowl resting in his lap. "Everybody knows light is the only way to beat shadow!" he snorted loudly as he shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Geez, how the heck did you even manage to capture all the cards?"

"I was just starting out." Maka mumbled under her breath, hot flush dusting her cheeks.

"It's common logic! How else did you fight the darkness when you were younger? With _water?_"

"You're the one talking. How many cards did you even capture, huh?" she growled under her breath, fists bawling the hem of her skirt.

His laughter came to an abrupt ending, heat visibly spreading on his cheeks.

Throughout her journey as the cardcaptor, Soul had been more of a partner than a rival and they both knew it. Only in the beginning, he had been her rival, but even then, he was always helping her out and teaching her how to capture the cards. The barely handful of cards he acquired, he didn't explicitly say it, but it was apparent to her in their later stage of their unofficial "partnership" that he didn't even want the cards. It wasn't until she was close to the end of her card-capturing journey when he revealed, he wasn't that interested in being a cardcaptor. He preferred playing on his piano than putting his life on the line to capture some cards he knew his brother could do better, but it was his turn to make a name in the Evans family and preserve their family heritage.

Looking back from the moment she opened the curious book in their basement to now, she was surprised how much she had grown. Not only had she discovered the courage she never even imagined she possessed, but she became more daring and independent. She made so many new friends and deepened the bounds she already had.

She was so lucky to have met Soul and Liz, laughed even at the memory of Liz's storming inside of Soul's apartment, bag dropping to the floor and a wide grin on her face at the view of her in Soul's clothes due to her own getting soaking wet after falling into the lake. Then she spoke those words that kept on ringing in her mind over and over again like a broken record "well, well, I think I can drop the act of being your fiancée, can I?"

Liz had explained in detail (oh how she hated those details thinking back at them) how back at home in New York, Soul was _very_ popular with the girls. Letters had flooded his family's mailbox, the doorbell rang every day with girls wishing to see him. Soul had been driving himself insane until one day, Liz stormed inside of his room, thrusting a golden band in his face. She had pretended to be engaged with him to chase away the girls and give him some peace of mind. That was what friends were for, Liz had explained.

"This is one of my favourite one out of them all."

Maka lifted her gaze back toward the screen, instantly a blush blossomed on her cheeks. On the screen was her latest "fight". Her classmate, Hiro, who had turned out to be the reincarnation of Lord Death, cast a spell on the sky, forcing every nonmagical human to fall asleep. Her brother Black*Star had fallen asleep and so did Tsubaki, but she didn't think her camera had actually managed to catch any footage of the fight.

She saw herself on the screen, the new staff in her hand after absorbing Blair and Kid, light surrounding her. Soul stumbled toward her, supporting himself on his sword before he crashed into her, hands clasping her staff. The angle was of their backs and she couldn't see his lips caressing the shell of her ear as he whispered words of encouragement in her ear. The cards floating in the air was consumed by light and officially turned into Maka cards.

The scene kept on playing on the screen, Maka transfixed as she kept on watching it, Soul equally speechless beside her. The dark sky ceased to exist when the light card was activated and the spell was broken. Quickly after that, the screen turned black and the mini cinema was once again dark.

Only a minute or two of more footage, footage she knew Tsubaki had to have but cut out from the mini movie to spare her. Soul had desperately been reaching out for her, stopping her from going after Hiro. His grip on her was frantic, nails digging into her flesh as if she would disappear if he let go. His mouth opened and closed before he burst, "I like you!" he screamed at her.

"Soul, if you could, I think it would be great if you played the piano so I could use it for the final scene." Tsubaki spoke as she had turn on the lights.

Maka didn't dare to looks. Confusion still clouded her mind when it came to Soul. How couldn't she have seen the signs? She… he always teased her about her lack of bosom and her fat ankles and her interest in books and school― and he _like_-liked her? Well, she had noticed his scold that seemed to be permanently glued onto his face from time to time, now when she thought about it, it always seemed to appear when Hiro was present.

No… it couldn't be.

He- he really genuinely liked her?

She had to admit, when she saw him, she did grow warm and her palms grew sweaty. When he gave her his rare and special smiles, showing off his teeth, it did something with her. It was as if a flock of butterflies hatched from their cocoons and flew around in her belly. When he returned to New York, she missed him. The teddy bear he had given her offered her some comfort, smelling his scent still lingering on the bear had reminded her how… how _real_ they were. She didn't appreciate the friendship they had until he returned home. The cards were all captured and turned into Maka cards, there was no longer a reason for him to stay in Death City. There was no reason for them to see each other ever again.

But he _had_ returned!

He just popped up in front of her out of the blue!

Soul always admired her courage, but she didn't have enough to confess to him before he left, now, she couldn't afford to cower away. This heart-racing and body-heating and stomach-fluttering feeling couldn't go on without being voice. At least once.

Who knew if he even were to ever return again.

"Uh," Soul smacked his tongue against his gum, a habit she had discovered when he was trying to think of what to say. "Um, okay? I guess."

"Great." A wide smile spread on Tsubaki's face. "I'll make all the arrangements. You can play your piece tomorrow! I want you both to see the finished version before Soul returns home."

"Yeah…" Maka sighed, standing up from her seat. "I need to go home. It's soon dinner time and I promised Black*Star I would help out."

"I'll come with you." Soul said, standing up from his chair suddenly. Maka's eyes widened at the fast gesture. "Um, I mean, Wes's probably waiting for my anyway so."

"Oh, okay." Tsubaki nodded understandingly. "I'll call you tomorrow, Soul."

"Cool." Tsubaki followed them to the door and they said their goodbyes before they started heading home. Maka's eyes fluttered with confusion when he started heading in the same direction as her. He read her mind at once and murmured he could walk her home.

Her cheeks heated at his shoulder bumping into hers. She hadn't yet given him an answer. This was her chance. This was a golden opportunity for her to confess his importance in her life and how much she enjoyed his presence, even missed and craved for it as if he was her favourite book she just couldn't get enough of. She… she treasured him so much.

They went in silent. They neared her home too close for comfort. Her throat ran dry as they went through the penguin park.

She had to tell him.

Now.

"S-Soul." she stuttered as she came to a stop in front of the penguin king. He halted and faced her, hands still shoved in his pockets. Silence hung heavy between them as he gave her his full attention. "I… I… There is something I…"

"Yeah…?" he encouraged her, taking a step closer to her.

It was as if her vocal cords tied knots and the words refused to leave her mouth. What would she even say? What were words again?

"Soul…" she wet her lips. She just had to say something― _anything!_ "… I missed you." she mentally facepalmed. Out of all the things she could've said, she said _that_.

His facade of apathy slowly melted away and a soft smile played on his lips. "I missed you too."

"It was… a while since I saw you last."

"Yeah… a couple of weeks." Silence fell between them. "How was your summer?" he asked eventually.

"Good. No card trouble at all."

"That's good."

"How was your summer?"

"Good. It was nice to see my parents again."

"Good… very good." Maka said, nervously fiddling with the hem of her skirt. She should just say it. She needed to just say it! She knew before summer arrived, Soul felt the same way, maybe even feel the same way. Deep down within him, there was a part that genuinely cared about her. Showing him her feelings wouldn't hurt her. Soul cared about her.

"Um…" Soul avoided her gaze, scratching the back of his neck.

"I… I know I haven't replied to you…" she started saying, his eyes widened and he faced her. Thankfully he stayed quiet and let her speak. "I should've told you before you left…" she swallowed nervously. "I… you're really special to me too. Y-you're my number one person―" she gasped loudly when he crashed into her, arms wrapping around her shoulders and face buried in her neck.

"Thank you." he whispered. She could swear she could feel his heart hammering against her chest. "I like you so much."

A large smile grew on her face and she beamed happily, her arms snaked around his waist and embraced him tightly. "I like you too." She couldn't help but take in his spicy and leathery scent. "I like you so much."

They clutched onto each other, enjoying the special moment of mutual bliss before the inevitable separation would come to tear them apart once again. For now, only they existed, only them and no one else. Their problems didn't exist, only them and their love was present as they hugged in front of penguin king.


End file.
